Dreaming of Dreams
by LunaV-chan
Summary: Minako has started to have some peculiar dreams, and it begins to worry her. What could all of it possibly mean?
1. Chapter One

Dreaming of Dreams

Chapter One

* * *

_Sunny blonde hair was flying wildly. A girl was panting heavily, running from something…what she was running from, she didn't know…_

"_Momma!"_

_The girl stopped. 'Momma…?' She pondered the word in her mind._

"_Momma, Momma, Momma!" The voice held a cry.  
_

_The girl continued to breathe heavily as she turned to the call of a child's voice. Her deep blue eyes blinked back tears as she saw a small little girl staring up at her. _

"_Oh, Momma, I thought you were going away. Please don't leave, Momma!"_

_The young child, no more than five years old, hurried up to the girl. She sniffled slightly and stared up. "Momma…" She reached her little arms up. _

_The girl blinked slightly. "You called me Momma…"_

_The little child started crying. "Momma, hold me!"_

_The girl blinked again. She looked deep into the little girl's cerulean eyes. 'She couldn't possibly be my child…could she?' She reached out a hand and stroked it through the child's long white hair. 'My child…?' She pulled her hand back quickly and clasped her palms together. "What's your name?"_

_The child's cries stopped and she looked up, puzzle crossing her soft features. "Momma…you know my name…I'm your little Angel…don't you know me, Momma?"_

_The girl started crying herself, shaking. "No, I don't know you. I don't know you."_

_The child reached out and hugged the girl's legs. "It's okay, Momma. Daddy will be home soon and then you'll remember me. Daddy will help you remember me."_

* * *

A sharp ringing noise shook Aino Minako from her sleep. She bolted upright in bed, panting. 'What was that dream? That little girl! She kept saying I was her mother!'

She groaned and fell back on the bed, whacking the alarm clock on the bedside table that had awakened her. She ran her fingers through her long blonde hair. "What a crazy dream." She murmured.

"Crazy dream, Mina-chan?"

Minako gasped, leaned over, and peeked over the side of her bed. Her talking white cat, Artemis, was sitting on the floor and giving her a concerned look. She smiled slightly and outstretched her arms, waiting for him to jump up on the bed. He did, and cuddled up to her. She stroked his fur gently.

"Hai, Artemis, a crazy dream…but don't worry yourself over it. It was just a dream, after all." She gave him a reassuring smile.

"Are you sure? We can talk about it, if you want…" Worry flashed in his blue eyes.

"It's alright, don't worry about it!" She hugged him and got up, setting him on the floor. "Well, I set that alarm for a purpose. I'm supposed to be meeting the girls at the arcade soon. I'd better get ready quick or I'll be late!"

She rushed to her closet and grabbed out some clothes and ran to the bathroom for a quick shower.

Artemis purred slightly and crawled into his cat bed, going back to sleep.

* * *

Minako walked down the sidewalks of Tokyo, Japan, heading towards the CROWN Arcade, where she was meeting her friends. She frowned, thinking how that for the first time, she really wasn't in the mood to hang out with her friends. She sighed and stopped her walk, staring across the street. The arcade was just a few steps away from her; she was almost there. She frowned and turned away. Heading in the opposite direction, she began to run. 'Where am I going?' She yelled at herself. Sighing, she stopped running and started to just walk again. 'The girls are going to get worried about me…I should go back.' She frowned again. Going back didn't sound appeasing. She walked past a children's playground that was full of kids running about and playing happily. She smiled slightly and sat down at a bench to watch them.

She stared ahead silently. 'That dream…it's nothing…' She frowned again. "But if it's nothing, then how come I'm worrying over it so much?"

"Worrying about what so much, Minako-san?"

She gasped and looked over at a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and smiled slightly. "Konnichiwa, Mamoru-san. Don't you know it's rude to sneak up on people?"

Chiba Mamoru chuckled lightly. "Gomen, Minako-san. Don't YOU know that it's odd to talk to yourself?"

"I didn't know I said it out loud…" She looked away, down at the ground.

He frowned, taking a seat beside her on the bench. "Something bothering you?"

She looked over at him, his piercingly sapphire eyes reflecting concern towards her. She sighed and looked back over the playground. "Just…an odd dream."

He tilted his head slightly. "Odd dream? Was it a nightmare?"

She looked up at him again. "Um…"

'Do I tell him? …I couldn't even tell Artemis…can I tell Mamoru, of all people? Of course, I've heard he's wonderful with helping with problems, but…I've never been that close to him. I mean…Ami's close to him, and so are Rei and Makato…they talk to him a lot…but I never have, really…but…' She bit her lip. 'What will Usagi think if I tell her boyfriend a problem that I'm having, and not tell her? She's my best friend…'

She pursed her lips together and stared up at the blue sky above her. It was seemingly easy to tell him, after all. "No, not a nightmare…it was just odd. I mean…" She sighed and turned to him. "Don't tell Usagi-chan about it. I haven't told anyone, not the girls, not Artemis, but…well, it's…" She bit her lip. "In the dream, I was running. And then I heard a little voice yell out 'Momma'. I stopped running and turned around and there was this little girl…she was a beautiful little girl. She had this really long beautiful white hair, and…her eyes, her eyes were this blue shade…much like mine. She…kept calling me Momma, and asked me to hold her. I asked her what her name was. She looked upset and told me "I'm your little Angel, Momma, don't you remember me?" I had a CHILD, Mamoru. She said she was my Angel! …and then…then she said that 'Daddy' would be home soon and he'd help me remember her. It was so…weird." She stopped and leaned back, sighing.

Mamoru shook his head, his black hair shining in the bright sunlight. "Minako-san…that is quite…odd, I have to say. Have you ever had the dream before?"

"No, I haven't." She turned to him. "Mamoru…don't tell Usagi-chan about it. Please. It was nothing, after all. I mean…just a silly dream."

He nodded. "I won't tell her. But Minako-san…it might not be just a silly dream. Some dreams mean…that something's going to happen. Tell me, have you been seeing anyone…seriously lately?"

She shook her head sadly. "No…I haven't dated anyone in quite a while, actually. Why do you ask?"

"Just a theory. I thought it might have been that you were thinking of getting very serious with some guy. I suppose not, ne? Well, I don't know what to tell you, Minako-san. But don't take the dream lightly and if you have it again, tell me. If it does, it's really not just a silly dream and we'll look into it. Alright?"

She smiled. "Thanks a lot, Mamoru-san. I've been told that you're a wonderful listener and problem solver. I've been told right!"

He laughed. "Well, thanks. I try."

She nodded and jumped up. "I'll see you later, Mamoru-san. I'm supposed to be at the arcade with the girls as we speak. Ja ne!"

She walked away briskly, turning around only briefly to wave to him. Then she took off running towards the arcade.

Mamoru stood up and frowned. "Minako-san..."

* * *

Chapter One End. 


	2. Chapter Two

Okay, well, now that you all know a bit about the story, let me explain…I'm not sure exactly where this is going. It's a new idea. I've never wrote about anyone in SM but Mamoru and Usagi…and I wanted a change. Plus, I wanted to try and make Minako look like a more serious character than she's often portrayed.

and I know what one certain special someone will say when he reads this…heh…well, honey, I'm not sure if it's going to be Motoki and Minako just yet. Probably not, actually…lol, but we'll just see, ne?

Dreaming of Dreams

Chapter Two

* * *

Minako rushed into the arcade, panting from her sprint. She noticed all her friends sitting in a booth near the back of the café and walked up to them. She smiled before collapsing in the seat. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late. I…woke up late."

Tsukino Usagi, who was sitting beside her, giggled. "That's okay, Mina-chan! I've done it before!" Usagi reached over and grabbed a half-finished chocolate milkshake off the table and started slurping on it, her pretty blue eyes happy and livid. The bubbly blonde then leaned back and yawned. "I was almost late myself. My alarm didn't go off."

Hino Rei, a raven haired Shinto priestess, rolled her deep violet eyes. "Alarm didn't go off, my ass. You're just too lazy to get up."

Usagi stuck her tongue out at Rei. "Rei-baka!"

Kino Makato, with brunette hair and a tall physique, clamped a firm hand over Rei's mouth before she could retort. "Oh, come on, guys, stop it!" She said, slight annoyance showing in her green eyes. She grinned and turned to Minako. "Glad you finally made it, though, Mina-chan. We were getting worried."

Minako nodded. "Gomen nasai…"

Mizuno Ami raised her sapphire orbs from a psychology book she had been reading to glance over at Minako. "Is something bothering you, Mina-chan?"

Minako looked over at the blue-haired girl. "Iie, Ami-chan. I'm alright. Why?"

Ami shrugged her small shoulders. "You just don't seem …peppy today."

Minako smiled. "I'm okay, Ami-chan." Ami nodded, though not completely satisfied with Minako's answer.

Rei stretched her arms over the table. "Okay, so, now that we're all here, we can finally begin. I called us all here because…well, I…" She stopped and grinned, then motioned for everyone to wait a moment while she rummaged through her purse for something. Finishing her search, she brought forth a brochure that she quickly hid behind her back before the other girls could see. "You see, a few weeks ago I signed up for a drawing. Well, I won! It's a fantastic prize, too! And I want to share it with all you guys!"

Usagi leaned over the table excitedly. "Oooh, what is it, Rei-chan? What is it, what is it?"

Rei grinned. "What, no Rei-baka?"

Usagi shook her blonde head furiously. "Iie, iie, no Rei-baka!"

Rei laughed. "Well, it's a trip for a group of six to a new resort that just opened up…in…"

All the girls were leaned in very close to Rei, their eyes anxious.

Rei was gloating over her information, knowing the suspense was killing her friends. She just grinned, placing a finger over her lips.

Makato pinched her.

Rei yelped. She looked over at Makato, who was threatening to pinch her again by leaning closer. Rei squealed. "Alright, alright! It's in Paris, alright! Paris!"

"PARIS!" They all yelled together.

Usagi was jumping up and down excitedly. "Paris, Paris, Paris!"

Minako grinned. "Count me in!"

They all nodded, accepting the offer as well. Rei reached behind her back and pulled out the brochure with information about the trip. She spread it out across the table. Makato and Usagi bumped their heads together trying to look at it at the same time.

Rei was still gloating. "I knew you'd all want to come. But now we need a sixth person as well. There are only five of us."

Usagi's eyes lit up. She looked up at Rei with a wide, pleading look. "Rei-chan, can I invite Mamo-chan along? You know, for male protection? Paris is such a big city, after all, and we'll need a…guardian!"

Makato started muttering under her breath, leaning back into the booth cushions. "Male protection…yeah, if Mamoru comes along she'll need LOTS of protection…a different kind of protection."

Ami and Rei heard her. Ami blushed, while Rei burst out into laughter. Usagi jumped up and leaned over the table.

"Hey! What are you laughing at, Rei! What did Mako-chan say?"

Rei just smiled at her. "Nothing, Usagi-chan…just a…private joke." She looked over at Makato and winked. Makato grinned.

Usagi rolled her eyes. "Well, can Mamoru come? Pleeeeeeasee?"

Minako laughed. "Oh, come on, Rei-chan; let the girl bring her boyfriend. At least she's lucky enough to have a boyfriend to share Paris with!"

Rei sighed. "Oh, alright…it's not like I have a boyfriend I could invite."

Makato reached over and grabbed Rei in a bear hug. "Awww, Rei-chan, we're going to France! You know there have to be lots of cute guys there! Maybe you'll meet someone?"

Rei grinned. "Yeah!"

Minako smiled. "Well, how long are we going to be gone?"

"Well, we leave Monday, and we'll be gone two weeks."

Usagi sighed happily. "Two weeks in Paris with Mamo-chan…" She noticed the girls giving her evil looks. She laughed nervously. "And you guys, too, of course."

Makato rolled her eyes. She started talking under her breath again. "I doubt she and Mamoru will ever actually leave the hotel room and SEE Paris…"

Rei started giggling again.

This time…Usagi heard what Makato had said.

"MAKO-CHAN!" She turned a bright red shade.

Makato batted her eyelashes. "Why, whatever is the matter, dear INNOCENT Usagi-chan?"

Rei burst out in laughter.

Usagi clenched her fists together. "It's none of your business what Mamo-chan and I do!"

"Well, that didn't keep you from telling us ALL about the night you lost…something…" Rei grinned, raising her eyebrows mischievously.

"REI-CHAN!" Usagi screeched, her eyes wide and face blushing brightly.

"Heeeeeeeeeeh…………." Rei giggled.

Ami tried vainly to block out anything that was said with her book. Minako smiled and listened to the two girls teasing Usagi, but decided that she wasn't in the mood to take part. She leaned back in her seat and stared up at the ceiling. She smiled. 'Maybe this is just what I need. A trip away from here might be good for me. Thank goodness for Rei and her contests.'

She sighed slightly and turned back to her friends. She grinned as she watched Usagi being bantered.

"Usagi and Mamoru, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"REEEEEIIIIIII!"

"Oh, hell, Rei, you KNOW they've done MORE than just KISS…" Makato laughed, standing up and poking Usagi in the ribs teasingly.

"Makooooo-chan!"

Minako grabbed one of Usagi's long pigtails and tugged on it slightly, forcing the blonde to finally sit down again. "Don't pay any attention to them, Usa-chan. They're just jealous cause they're all still virgins."

Rei narrowed her eyes. "Oh, and you're NOT?"

Minako crossed her arms and stuck her nose up in the air. "I never said anything about me. I'm just saying that you guys are jealous of Usagi."

Rei and Makato slunk down in the booth, grumbling, admitting defeat. Ami looked up from her book at Usagi.

"Just make sure that if you and Mamoru are sexually active that you take precautions, Usa-chan. We don't want to see Chibiusa running around here TOO early, after all."

Usagi blushed again. "Ami-chan! That was…so…"

Minako was shocked herself. "Bold of you, that's for sure. It's so unlike you, Ami-chan!"

Ami shrugged. "Well, I can be bold when I want to be. Besides, I'm just worried over them. I don't think neither of them is ready to be parents just yet, anyways…well, at least I know Usagi isn't."

Usagi sat numbly, blushing.

Makato and Rei were tumbling over with laughter.

"Yah, Usa-chan's most definitely not ready to be a 'Momma'!" Rei said while choking with laughter.

Minako flinched at the sound of the word. 'Not that again…'

Usagi sighed heavily, standing up again. "Who says I'm NOT ready to be a mother? Well, it doesn't MATTER. Mamo-chan and I have already decided that we're going to wait until he finishes medical school before we marry and start a family…and that's going to be two more years!"

Makato nodded. "That's very wise of you. But let me guess, it was Mamoru who decided on that."

"Yeah…so?" Usagi mumbled.

Makato grinned. "Nothing, it's just that it's usually Mamoru who makes the logical decisions."

Rei nodded. "You'd be lost without him, Usa-chan…you definitely wouldn't have made it out of high school."

Usagi smiled slightly. "Even though I know that's an insult, you're right." Her eyes became dreamy.

"AH! Oh, no, we've gotten her started! Let's run before we get another 'Mamo-chan is so wonderful' speech!" Makato yelled. She jumped up and grabbed Rei and Ami by the arms and dragged them out of the booth. Usagi pushed Minako up out of the booth and started chasing after them.

"Hey! But I didn't say anything!"

"But you were going to!" yelled Makato, rushing out of the arcade. Usagi followed, running.

Minako stood beside the booth they had been sitting in and watched them through the window. Makato and Rei were running, both holding Ami by an arm each, her trying vainly to put a bookmark in her book. Minako smiled slightly as she saw Usagi chasing after them, her blonde pigtails flying behind her.

She sighed and walked away from the booth. 'What a crazy day.'

She started to walk out of the arcade when she saw Furuhata Motoki standing at the front counter, wiping it off with a cloth. He looked up and noticed her. He smiled and waved. "Hey, Mina-chan!"

She smiled back and walked up to the counter. "Hey, Motoki-kun. Business slow today?"

He nodded. "Yeah, a bit. What's up with you, Mina-chan? It seems like it's been forever since I last talked to you."

She sat on one of the stools at the counter and shrugged. "Nothing much. It has been a while since we've talked though, hasn't it? I'm sorry; I haven't been by the arcade much lately. I've…been so busy."

He smiled warmly at her. "It's alright. I've missed you, though. You've always been one of my favorite customers, after all." He laughed slightly and placed a light kiss on her cheek. "I'll be right back, okay? I think that kid over there is about to murder that game machine."

She nodded and smiled as he walked off. 'Motoki-kun…' She sighed softly, thinking fondly of the tall blonde haired man. 'He treats me like a sister…' She looked down at her hands in her lap. 'I wished for such a long time that I would be more to him than that…but it would have never worked between us, anyways, I don't guess.'

He walked back over to her and noticed her sad, forlorn expression. "Mina-chan? Is something the matter?"

She gasped and looked up at him. "Oh, Motoki-kun! I didn't notice that you were back. No, nothing's wrong, I'm alright." She flashed him a quick smile.

He frowned. "Okay, Mina-chan, but…you know I'm always here for you if you ever need to talk, right?"

She nodded, noticing concern in his deep brown eyes. 'How come everyone is so worried over me?' She thought. "Sheesh. I'm not always happy, after all." She forgot to notice that she said that last bit aloud.

"Well, I know, Mina-chan. No one is always happy…but you're one of those people that are rarely unhappy and when you are, it's easy to notice…because it's so odd."

She smiled. "Well…thanks for your concern, anyways, Motoki-kun. You're the greatest, as always."

He chuckled lightly. "Nah, I'm just your average, lonely arcade guy that would do anything to talk to a pretty girl such as yourself."

She grinned. "Well, I wouldn't say you're lonely. How are things with you and Reika?"

His smile quickly became a frown. "Mina-chan…you didn't hear? Well, you haven't been her much at all lately, but…Reika and I decided to…part ways a while back."

She gasped. "Oh! I'm so sorry, Motoki-kun."

He smiled sadly. "It's alright, Mina-chan. It was for the best, after all."

She tilted her head to the side. "But how come you broke up? You and Reika were so great together." She actually meant what she said, too. Even though she had always been incredibly jealous of Reika, she had always liked her. Reika and Motoki had made a good couple. It was really a shame that it had ended.

He shrugged. "Well…actually, it was her that broke up with me. She…found somebody new."

Minako frowned severely. "She's crazy! How on earth could she ever want any other guy over you?"

He laughed. "Well, Mina-chan…sometimes things just don't work out. I guess it was that Reika didn't feel like…we would last. So, she moved on. And don't worry, because I've moved on, too."

She smiled cheerfully. "I'm so glad! So have you got a new girlfriend?"

He shook his head. "Nah, but that's alright. I'm just taking my time. I want to find that special girl that I can love for the rest of my life."

She nodded slightly, looking down at the counter. "I know what you mean. I've been doing the same thing…for years. Well, Motoki-kun, I hope you're lucky enough to find that someone special, because you really deserve to be happy." She looked up at him with a watery smile. "Take care, Motoki-kun, alright? I have to get going now. When I have time, I'll stop by here, okay?"

Motoki frowned slightly. "Oh…well, yeah, I'd love it if you came by. You be careful, Mina-chan…"

She nodded and got up off the stool she had been sitting on. She threw a half-hearted wave his way and slowly walked out of the door.

He stared after her retreating figure, noticing how very dejected she looked. "Mina-chan, what on earth could be bothering you so much?" He muttered. "You're not supposed to be like that…it's not right…"

* * *

Minako sighed as she walked into her messy bedroom. She noticed that Artemis was napping on her bed, his little form spread out over a pile of her clothes. She giggled slightly as she watched him snooze. He was obviously having a very animated dream, as he kept reaching up and hitting something in the air.

She shook her head and slipped quietly out of the room, as not to disturb him, and into her bathroom. Standing in front of her bathroom counter with wide mirrors, she took her long sunny streaks of hair down out of the crimson hair bow that it had been held up by. She reached over for a hairbrush on the counter and ran it through the strands, getting the loose tangles out. She closed her eyes. When she finished, she reopened her eyes and stared into the mirror. Her face became pale as she noticed how much likeness there was between herself and the little girl in her dream. When her hair was down out of its hair bow, they looked almost identical, the only difference being the color of their hair. She gulped and turned away from the mirror. She shook her head violently. 'Who IS she? Damn it! Get out of my head!' She started crying softly and slid down to the floor, burying her face in her hands. 'I'll never find anyone to love and love me, and I'll never have a child…so just go away…I can't have a child, even in a dream…I'm not allowed that kind of joy…'

She furiously wiped at her eyes, trying to rid herself of the tears. 'Damn it…'

* * *

Mamoru stared at the night lights of the city of Tokyo from his apartment balcony with a deep from crossing his handsome features. 'I hope Minako is alright…she seemed so worried about the dream this afternoon. And why is this so bad that I can't tell Usako?'

Usagi came out to join him, carrying two cans of soda. "Mamo-chan, are you alright?"

He blinked and turned to the girl handing him a drink. He smiled. "Hai, Usako, I'm fine."

She smiled back at him. "Good! You look so serious sometimes, though…" She giggled slightly.

He smiled a little and wrapped his arm around her shoulders before turning back to the view of the city. "Gomen, Usako…I've just got my mind on so many things right now that I'm probably not that great of company."

She looked up at him confusedly. "Like what?"

Mamoru looked over at her from the corner of his eye. "Oh, don't worry about it, Usako. It's just little trivial problems and such."

She laughed happily, reaching up and kissing his cheek. "Oh, if that's what it is, then I'm sorry I can't help you, but you know me! I'm no good at trivia questions at all!" She giggled.

Mamoru just smiled and kissed the top of her head. He wasn't about to correct her mistake.

Chapter Two End.


	3. Chapter Three

Dreaming of Dreams

Chapter Three

* * *

Minako tossed and turned for several long, miserable hours before finally slipping into sleep. Artemis watched her as she slept from the end of her bed, frowning in anxiety. 'Poor Mina-chan…I wonder what's so awful with her dreams that's making her look like she's in such pain…'

* * *

_Minako stood in a beautifully ornamented room, adorned in magnificent pieces of furniture and artwork. She looked about her in wonder and amazement. Then she gasped and looked down at her own appearance. She was wearing a marvelously, golden silken dress that flowed softly around her ankles. She felt her knees go weak and she fell back, and unexpectedly, she landed gently on a lush cushion. She blinked and looked at what she was sitting on. It was a bed, a rather large one at that. _

"_Where am I?" She whispered fearfully, not knowing what to expect as a reply._

"_At home, dearest. You've had such a rough day, darling. How are you feeling?" _

_Minako gasped. She quickly stood up and twirled around, her dress rustling about her. "Who said that!" She yelled, searching in dread for the source of the voice. _

_A low, pleasant laugh filtered through the room. She turned around once more back to the bed. She blinked and stepped back when she saw a tall man leaning against one of the high spiraling bed posts, looking at her in slight wonder. _

"_Yes, dear, I believe you've had quite a day." He said, smiling softly at her. _

_She raised her eyebrows. "Who ARE you?" She asked, looking at his appearance. He was quite tall, with a broad frame, and was wearing what looked to be a gray uniform of sorts. She took notice of his piercing gray eyes…and his long hair. 'White...purely white…just like…' She gasped and turned away, searching for a way to get out. "What am I doing here? Where am I, who are you, what does all this mean…what…what…" She collapsed suddenly, feeling incredibly tired and weak. She sat breathing heavily on the floor, gasping for breath. _

_A few seconds passed before a pair of strong arms picked her up and held her close. She struggled for a few moments before leaning back and giving up, relaxing in his grip. "Who are you?" She whispered again, feeling herself getting sleepy. _

"_Don't worry; you'll remember soon, love. It will all come back to you in time. You just rest now. When the time is right, I'll tell you everything."_

_She nodded, drifting off into sleep. _

* * *

Minako awoke to see the sun making its way to peek through the blinds on her window. She sat up and stretched and stared out at the bright day. She frowned slightly. "What a dream."

A white cat jumped into her lap and started yelling. "You're telling me! One minute you'd be tossing and turning, your face twitching in pain, and the next minute I see you smiling! I gave up after a while and just went to sleep myself!" Artemis stuck his paw in her face, obviously upset.

She giggled. "You silly cat, go back to bed!"

Artemis growled. "Fine, I will!"

"Okay, then!" She giggled again, kissing the top of his crescent mooned forehead. "I'm going shopping, okay? It's Saturday, and I only have a few days left to get ready for the trip to Paris."

He nodded. "Hai, hai. Luna told me all about that. She said that Usagi was practically jumping off the walls with excitement over it. I was surprised that you weren't acting the same way."

She smiled. "I'm very excited, I am, but I've had my head busy with so many things that I just haven't thought about it much. Did Luna say if Usagi has invited Mamoru yet?"

"Iie, she said nothing about that…wait, so Mamoru is going, too?"

"I think so, hai." She nodded.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, good! At least ONE person that has some sense about him will be going."

"Well, Ami's going…"

"Hai, Hai, but I still feel better that Mamoru's going as well. Even Ami can be overpowered by the other girls, but Mamoru won't let that happen. You might all get there and back safely now." Artemis started laughing.

"Hey! We can take care of ourselves, thank you very much!" Minako whacked the cat, who had been retreating back to his cat bed, with a pillow.

The cat yelped, a sharp "Meow!" erupting from his throat. He grumbled. "Stupid blonde."

"Stupid cat!" Minako ran into the bathroom, slamming the door before Artemis could yell back.

He yelled anyways. "Stupider blonde!" He shouted as loudly as he could, making sure she could hear it from behind the closed door.

"Stupidest cat! Now shut up before someone outside hears you and Mom thinks I have a guy in here! Stupidest, stupidest cat!"

"Damn blondes…" Artemis mumbled as he crawled into his bed. "I should have never gotten up in the first place." He yawned and snuggled up for another hours' nap.

* * *

Usagi groaned loudly, finally dragging herself up out of the bed. She stared up at the ceiling, blinking several times trying to wake herself up. "I should have just stayed at Mamo-chan's. I mean, I'll be going back there soon anyways; I should have just saved myself the trouble." She giggled slightly.

Her black cat, Luna, hissed from the floor. "One of these days I'm going to find a way to get you and Mamoru caught for what you do! Do you have any clue as to what your father would DO to you two if he found out that you've been…doing things?"

Usagi rolled her eyes. "Oh, hush up, Luna. You're almost as bad as the girls. Sheesh, it's like it's just SO wrong for Mamo-chan and I to be together. For kami's sakes, I'm eighteen now! It's not like Daddy can actually SAY anything to me about it. I could very easily leave home and move in with Mamo-chan if I wanted to."

Luna sighed. "I'm just saying what I think, Usagi. Don't get mad about it. I just don't like it that you're always sneaking in the house at odd hours of the night…"

Usagi grinned. "Well, you can rest assured that those nights that I come in late are the ones you shouldn't worry about. The nights you SHOULD worry about are the ones where I don't even come home!" She laughed.

Luna shook her head. "I'm going to see Artemis. I'll talk to you later, Usagi." She climbed out of Usagi's open window and jumped out into the trees, and disappeared.

Usagi stood up and yawned. "Poor Artemis. Well, at least I don't have to put up with her."

The phone on Usagi's nightstand started ringing. She reached over and grabbed it. "Hello!"

"Usagi-chan, you want to go shopping?" Minako said over the other line.

"Oooh, sure! Let's meet at the arcade in twenty minutes, alright?"

"Oh…the arcade? Umm…alright. I'll see you there!"

"Kay!"

"Bye, Usa-chan!"

The dial tone started beeping. Usagi placed the phone back on the receiver and rushed to her closet to pick out an outfit. 'Wonder why she sounded like she didn't want to go to the arcade, though. Huh.'

* * *

Minako walked into the arcade quietly, hoping to evade Motoki. She slipped into a back booth to await Usagi, and hoped that for once, Usagi wouldn't be late.

Unfortunately, the second that Minako sat down in the booth, Motoki walked out from the back storage room into the arcade. He noticed her and waved, smiling brightly. She lifted her hand into a small wave and turned to look out the window, wishing for Usagi to show up.

"Mina-chan, daijabou?"

Minako glanced away from the window to see Motoki standing beside the table.

"Hai, Motoki-kun. Can I get a vanilla milkshake, onegai? Oh, and get a chocolate one for Usagi-chan, too. She should be here any minute."

He nodded. "Sure thing, Mina-chan! Hey, Mako-chan told me about how you guys are all going to Paris. Are you excited?"

She smiled. "Yeah, sure am. Usagi and I are going shopping for new clothes and stuff to wear while we're there."

"Sounds like fun. I'll be right back with your shakes, okay?" He smiled at her again and walked off.

She watched his retreating figure and grinned to herself. 'It's funny how incredibly cute a guy can look in an apron.' She giggled slightly.

"What's so funny, Mina-chan?"

Minako looked away from Motoki to see Usagi sliding into the booth. She gasped. "Usagi-chan, we're wearing the same shirt! We said when we bought them that we'd make sure we never wore them at the same time."

Usagi looked down at her pink t-shirt with the words 'I Love Pink' etched across the front. She shrugged. "Oh, well. Gomen, Mina-chan. I guess I forgot that you have one of these, too. We'll just have to match for the day!" She giggled.

Minako sighed. "Yeah, well, at least we're not wearing the EXACT same thing. I'm glad I decided on jeans instead of a skirt."

Usagi nodded. "Hai, but I'm going to see Mamo-chan after we go shopping, so I wanted to wear this skirt." She blushed slightly.

Minako rolled her eyes. "Silly girl."

Motoki walked up with their milkshakes in hand and placed the drinks on the table. "Konnichiwa, Usagi-chan!"

Usagi beamed. "Konnichiwa, Motoki-kun. Oooh, is this for me?"

Minako nodded. "Hai, I went ahead and ordered one for you."

"Aww! Arigatou, Mina-chan!"

Minako smiled and took her own shake and started drinking it silently.

Usagi noticed her friend's quiet manner. She frowned. "Mina-chan…is something wrong? You look so sad."

Motoki was still standing by the booth. "Hai, I've wanted to ask the same thing…" He murmured softly.

Usagi slid over in the booth and motioned for Motoki to sit down beside her. She then turned back to Minako, who was still being very quiet and staring out the window. "Well, Mina-chan? What's up?"

Minako turned and stared down at her shaking hands in her lap.

"Usako, I've been looking for you. How did I just know you'd be here?"

Usagi gasped and looked away from Minako to see Mamoru standing beside the booth, grinning. She smiled. "Mamo-chan!"

Motoki stood up. "Hey, Mamoru-kun. I'll let you sit by Usagi-chan, alright? If Mina-chan doesn't mind, I'll sit by her. Oh, do you want anything, though?"

Mamoru shook his head. "Nah, I've already had my coffee this morning. I'm fine right now."

Motoki nodded and sat by Minako, who slid over closer to the window and leaned her head against the glass.

Usagi kissed Mamoru lightly on the lips before turning back to Minako. "Mina-chan, you never answered my question. Is anything bothering you?"

Mamoru frowned at Usagi's question and looked at Minako, who was sighing as she pulled away from the window. She turned and looked at Mamoru. "Mamoru-san…it happened again. But…it was very different this time. But yet I know that it was the same one."

Mamoru nodded. "Should we look into it?"

Motoki and Usagi looked back and forth between the two, both of their pairs of eyes wide with confusion.

Minako pursed her lips together. "Well…I mean, I know a lot more now. But I don't know much at all at the same time. I mean, I…I'm just confused. I want it to go away, but at the same time, I want to know what it is, and I want to see it through…to get to the end of it."

Usagi held up her hands. "Hold on, hold up! First things first, what are you talking about, Mina-chan? And secondly, how do YOU know about it, Mamo-chan?"

Mamoru sighed. "Usako…"

Minako bit her lip. 'I knew this would happen. She's going to blow up at me…oh, well, here goes.' She thought in despair.

Mamoru looked at Minako in sympathy. "Gomen, Minako-san."

She shrugged. "It's not your fault, Mamoru-san. It's alright, I knew it would happen. Listen, Usagi-chan," She turned to Usagi tentatively. "I had a bit of a…problem and Mamoru was there and…so I told him about it. I'm sorry I haven't told you or the girls, but…I didn't really want to tell everyone, because I wanted to believe at first that it was nothing, but…I know now that it's not."

"What's wrong, Mina-chan?" Usagi whispered fearfully.

Minako bit her lip. "Well…I've been having some very odd dreams lately. Just the night before last, I had a dream in which a small girl, with long white hair and blue, blue eyes was running up to me and calling me 'Momma' and trying to get me to hold her. And I told her I didn't know her and she said that 'Daddy' would help me remember her. And then, last night, I had another dream like that, but this time, she wasn't in it. I was in a beautiful bedroom, and there was this man there, and he never told me his name or anything, but he kept calling me 'dearest' and 'darling' and…his hair…was EXACTLY like that little girl's from the last dream."

Motoki looked down at Minako's hands that were tightly clasped in her lap. He frowned. She was shaking dreadfully.

"Well…I have to say that it's a bit obvious who the guy was supposed to be in your dream, Minako-san…wouldn't you?" Mamoru said.

Minako looked at Mamoru. "He must have been the little girl's 'Daddy'. Which means…he must have been my…?"

"Sounds like it." Mamoru nodded.

This only caused Minako to groan and lay her head in her hands on the table. "But I wonder what it all means."

"Well, you'll just have to figure all that out."

"But…HOW?"

"Well, as time passes, maybe you'll keep having the dreams and things will unfold themselves. I wouldn't worry yourself over it so much, though."

Minako nodded. "Arigatou, Mamoru-san."

He smiled. "No, problem, Minako-san. Hey…Usako, Minako-san…are you both wearing the same shirt?" He looked back and forth between the two.

Both girls groaned.

"Not MY fault."

"Well, it wasn't mine either. I just picked it out of my closet!"

"You should have warned me over the phone though."

"Oh, well, there's no use crying over spilt milkshakes."

"Usagi-chan…?"

Usagi giggled. "Well, milk didn't fit in this case, seeing as we've got milkshakes!"

Motoki stood up. "Well, sorry, guys, but I've got work to do. I'll talk to you all later, okay? Take care, Mina-chan…alright?"

Minako looked up at Motoki and nodded numbly. "Hai, Motoki-kun, I will."

He nodded and walked away.

Usagi frowned and looked at Minako's sad eyes. "Mina-chan, is there something wrong with you and Motoki-kun?"

Minako gasped. "Oh…" She stared down at the milkshake on the table. "Well, no, I mean…well, there's never been anything between us in the first place to worry about, anyways. We've just always been friends…and I suppose it's always going to stay that way. Really and truly, too, I think I want it to stay that way. We're not right for one another, after all. But it would have been nice, though…" She slid out of the booth. "Well, Usagi-chan, are you coming with me or are you going with Mamoru-san?"

Usagi kissed Mamoru's cheek. "I'll see you in a few hours, hon. I promised Mina-chan that we'd go shopping."

He nodded and smiled. "Alright. I'll see you in a few.

Minako smiled at Usagi, who had grabbed her by the arm, and then down at Mamoru. "Thanks for letting me steal her for a few hours, Mamoru-….kun."

Mamoru grinned. "Sure, Mina-chan. Just don't let her buy too much…she's got my credit card hidden somewhere…"

Usagi started giggling nervously. "By, Mamo-chan!" She turned on her heels and dragged Minako out of the arcade.

Mamoru grinned as he watched them run off, and then walked up to the front counter where Motoki was making a little girl a soda.

"Motoki-kun, you alright?"

Motoki nodded as he handed the little girl the soda. Then he wiped his hands on his apron and turned to look at his best friend.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I'm just a little worried about Mina-chan."

Mamoru nodded. "She'll be alright, Motoki-kun. She's a strong girl."

"Hai, I know…I'm just worried that she's pulling away from me. We used to be very close, you know. She's always meant a lot to me."

"Well, Motoki…"

Motoki laughed suddenly. "Don't worry about it, Mamoru-kun. It's alright. She's got her own life, after all. I mean…we'll never be more than friends…maybe it's best that it stays that way."

He walked into the back room and shut the door.

Mamoru sighed. "They're so much alike…"

* * *

Chapter Three End.

That's that for now…I'm working on chapter four now, but I wanted to go ahead and submit this.


	4. Chapter Four

Dreaming of Dreams

Chapter 4

Minako flipped through the rack of blouses with little interest, glancing over each top for a moment before going to the next one. Usagi frowned at her friend, reached over, and grabbed Minako's hand.

"Mina-chan, stop it. Look, we need to talk." Usagi pulled her away from the clothes and out of the store, into the mall. She found a bench beside the mall fountain and sat down, pulling the silent Minako down beside her.

"What's wrong, Usagi-chan?" Minako whispered softly, fully knowing what the problem was.

"You're acting like this dream thing is about to ruin your life, that's what. Mina-chan, what if this dream is good? I mean, seriously! A beautiful little girl calling you Momma, a handsome man that's supposedly you husband….why are you so stressed out about it?"

"Because, Usagi-chan…" Minako's blue eyes shifted down to the tile flooring. "Because it can't be good….because I'm not allowed that kind of happiness…"

Usagi frowned. "But…Mina-chan…why are you putting yourself down like this? Everyone deserves to be happy, especially you! You're being so odd…you're never depressed…"

Minako sighed in frustration, standing up and staring out at the people walking by. She looked over her shoulder at Usagi. "I'm not always happy, Usagi-chan. I wish people would quit telling me that. I'm a normal, eighteen year old girl with feelings and problems, just like everyone else. Just because it's supposed to be that I'm always happy and just because it seems that I am doesn't mean that inside I actually AM! Usagi-chan, you're my best friend…you should know me better than that…"

Usagi stood up beside her and reached over to hug the frowning girl. "I know, Mina-chan. Just don't let something like this get you down…you DO deserve happiness…and you're going to find it. It's really right under your nose….or above it, rather, considering he's so much taller than you." She giggled slightly and pulled away, holding Minako at arms length. "Why can't you see it?"

Minako blinked. "Usa-chan, what are you talking about?"

Usagi giggled again. "Motoki-kun, you silly girl!"

Minako gasped slightly and frowned. "Iie, Usa-chan. Motoki-kun is just a friend…and that's all he'll ever be…"

Usagi shrugged. "Well, from the way he looks at you and worries over you it certainly doesn't look like HE feels like you're just friends."

Minako shook her head. "Usa-chan, I know what I'm saying. I don't think Motoki-kun and I would work…as much….as very much as I may like it if we would. But we're just way too different."

"YOU'RE different? For kami's sakes, would you look at Mamo-chan and I? We barely have anything in common…and we still love each other…"

Minako smiled. "Hai, but that's you and Mamoru-kun, Usa-chan…it's different. Anyways, come on; let's REALLY go shopping this time…okay?"

Usagi grinned. "YEAH!"

* * *

"MAMO-CHAN!" 

Mamoru cringed slightly at Usagi's loud wails. He looked up from his book to see her poking her head in his living room. "Usako, don't you think you could quit down just a little bit? I have neighbors, hon…"

"Nyeh! Besides, you've upset me very badly today. Keeping secrets like that from me…now where the heck did you hide it?" She left the kitchen and plopped beside him on the couch, grabbing his book away from him.

He sighed. "It wasn't my fault! Mina-chan told me NOT to tell you…" He paused and frowned. "Hide what?"

She flipped through his physics book critically, her nose wrinkled in disgust. "I will NEVER understand why you read this stuff…and you KNOW what I'm talking about."

"No, I don't, Usako…"

"Think. YOU'RE supposed to be the brains in this relationship, after all…"

"Usako…I can't read minds..." He sighed.

"You're supposed to be able to know what I'm thinking at all times!" She pouted, reaching over and putting his book on the coffee table.

"That's an impossible task…"

"HOW COME?" She looked up at him and frowned. "You know me better than anyone else…"

"That may be so, Usako…but…no one man will EVER understand what goes in the brains of you females…"

She groaned. "How come men are always saying that?"

He laughed. "Because it's true!"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, anyways, where did you hide it?"

"Usako, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, sheesh, fine! I'm talking about that ice cream I bought yesterday and brought over for us to eat tonight!"

"Oh. That. Why didn't you just say so? It's in the freezer, on the very back shelf."

"Ooooh…the BACK shelf. Sheesh, don't hide ice cream in the back, Mamo-chan. Ice cream should be put on the top of everything because it's most important!" She giggled and jumped off the couch, running to the kitchen.

He grinned slightly and reached over to pick up his book.

"Don't you dare touch that book, Mamo-chan! I'm coming back in a minute!"

He pulled his hand back. 'How the hell did she do that!'

She came back in the room with the ice cream carton and two spoons. Placing the ice cream on the coffee table, she picked up all the books that he had littered around and left the room again. She came back a few minutes later.

"Where did you go?" He looked over the back of the couch at her.

She grinned. "Just hiding all those pesky books of yours. I'll put them back later, I promise. But right now we need to talk."

He raised an eyebrow and frowned. "I don't like that tone…what's wrong?"

"It's not me, Mamo-chan. It's Mina-chan…" She grabbed the ice cream and sat beside him on the couch, snuggling into the crook of his arm. "I'm worried about her. This afternoon when we were shopping, she looked so incredibly depressed and it scared me. It's just not like Mina-chan."

"Usako…she's just got a lot of things bothering her. You should just try and be supportive of her…"

"I know, I know. But I'm just saying…she really needs this break to Paris, yes, but…I want you to help me with something else, when we get back."

He looked down into her twinkling blue eyes. "Uh-oh…what are you scheming?"

"You know Motoki-kun better than anyone else, don't you?"

"AH-HA! How did I know this would involve Motoki? Usako, that's their business…you shouldn't interfere…especially if it involves me…"

She frowned. "But why not? You've got to help me!"

"No way, Usako! Matchmaking is NOT in me."

She pouted and turned away from him. "Fine. If you won't help, you get NO ice cream…and it's chocolate. Your FAVORITE."

"Now that's not fair…"

"Heeeh….Just call me the evil girlfriend who knows the rules of blackmail!"

He sighed. "Fine…then you can just go home and put up with your PARENTS and LUNA all night." He grinned slightly.

She gasped and turned back to him, a pout forming on her face. "Now that's just cruel, Mamo-chan!"

"Then let me have ice cream."

"Help me get Minako and Motoki together and I'll let you have ice cream!"

"No, you let me have ice cream and I don't send you home…"

"I'll just hide in the guest room!"

"I'll lock the guest room."

"I'll take the couch!"

"I'll take the cushions off the couch and lock them in the storage closet."

"The balcony lounge chair!"

"That's an easy one, I'll just fold it up and store it in the closet with the couch cushions…"

"…the recliner?"

"I don't have a recliner, Usako…"

"Oh, yeah…"

"You lose."

"……okay….I lose….what do you want?"

"…umm…ice cream?"

She sighed and handed the carton over to him. "Fine, fine, you win. I'll just try and get Mako-chan to help me…"

"Now that's a better idea, dear." He grabbed a spoon from her and started digging in.

"HEY! Share, why don't ya? Sheesh, Mamo-chan, I bought it for both of us! Both meaning me included!"

"You've already had your share!"

"I had one bite!"

"Yeah, and that's your share!"

"I bought it!"

"I bought the apartment and the bed and the couch and…"

"AHHH! Would you quit blackmailing me already? You wouldn't really send me home!"

"…and who says I won't?"

"…………….."

Mamoru looked up from his ice cream to see the back of her head.

She sighed and turned to him. "Alright. Eat the damn ice cream."

Mamoru chuckled slightly, reaching over and pecking her lips. "I'm just teasing, dear. You're right, I could never send you home…it'd be more of a punishment for me than you."

"Then can I have ice cream?"

He laughed. "Yes, yes, yes…"

* * *

Minako studied through the travel brochure deeply, ignoring the humorous looks that Artemis was giving her. The white cat jumped around on the bed, meowing and trying his very best to make her look up. Finally, after watching her intent gaze on the pamphlet, he sighed and curled up into a ball on her pillow. Minako grinned and looked up, reaching over and brushing through his fur with her fingertips. "Silly Artemis." 

His head shot up. "Oh, sure, NOW you look up!"

She giggled and kissed the top of his crescent mooned forehead. "I was busy looking at the sights of Paris, Arty!"

"Well, shouldn't you wait till you get there to do that?"

She nodded and placed the brochure on the side table next to her bed. "Hai, hai, fine. I'll look at this later…so what's up?"

"I want to talk to you about something, Mina-chan…"

"Hai? What is it?" She sat up and pulled her hair out of its red bow, shaking her hair free.

"Well…are you having some bad dreams, Mina-chan?"

She stopped running her fingers through her hair and looked over her shoulder into his little blue eyes. "Why do you say that?"

"You seem disturbed…when you sleep. I've watched you. I've even tried talking to you about it before…you keep shrugging me off."

She smiled slightly and reached over to hug her friend. "I'm sorry, Artemis. I should have talked to you about it…you're a true friend to me, and I don't deserve your care and concern…but thank you…"

"Mina-chan…"

"It's just a crazy dream that keeps reoccurring…the first time, I saw a little girl, the second time, a handsome man…both said things that made them related to me…the girl said I was her mother, the man acted like he was my husband or lover or something…it was just crazy…"

"Why is it such a bad dream to you though? It sounds like a nice dream to me…"

"Hai…but it's just…it's just odd. It shouldn't bother me, it shouldn't. But it does…"

"Why…?"

She shook her head and laid back on the bed, resting against the pillows, Artemis lying in her lap. She stroked his fur gently as she stared at the ceiling. "I don't know, Artemis. I really don't. It just bothers me…I guess maybe it's because…I'm scared…I've never thought of what it would be like to…be loved…or…to have my own child…I've always…thought I'd be alone the rest of my life…"

"You're not alone, Mina-chan. You'll never be alone. I'll always be here for you…and you have your friends and your mother…and you'll find that someone…I know you will"

She smiled down at him. "Hai, maybe you're right. Arigatou, Artemis."

He purred and snuggled in her lap, falling asleep.

She looked out her window at the stars. 'But what if I never do find him…?'

* * *

Rei, Ami, & Makato were in the Tokyo International Airport promptly on time for their flight. Rei paced around the terminal impatiently, sighing deeply and staring down at her watch every few minutes. 

Ami and Makato sat in the waiting chairs, watching the raven-haired priestess pace back and forth. They knew that if their other friends didn't show up soon, the girl would start having a temper tantrum. They gave each other worried looks. This was not the way they wanted their vacation to start.

Minako came running up, her blonde hair flying wildly behind her, her white jean skirt and orange tank top slightly wrinkled. "Oh, my gosh, guys! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be so late, but I had some last minute packin-"

"It's alright, Mina-chan! We're just glad you're here!" Makato stood up and grabbed the blonde in a hug, cutting off her words. Minako smiled and hugged her back.

Rei looked up. "Glad you're here, Mina-chan! Now where is that ditz Usagi and her boyfriend?"

"Nice to know I'm referred to as the boyfriend…" They heard a male's voice grumble.

All eyes turned around to see Usagi and Mamoru standing behind them, both carrying suitcases…most of which were Usagi's.

Usagi giggled and tugged on the sleeve of his green jacket. "Aww…honey, they don't ALWAYS refer to you as that…"

Rei rolled her eyes. "PLEASE don't start getting all lovey-dovey in the middle of the airport! It's about time you got here; we're going to miss our flight if we don't hurry, thanks to you two!"

Mamoru sighed. "It wasn't MY fault…she just HAD to stop and get one more ice cream before we left…"

Ami stood up and grabbed the few bags that were by her feet. "Well, it doesn't matter. You're both here, so let's go!"

Makato had to grab Rei and drag her away from screaming at Usagi about her ice cream fits. Minako helped take several of the bags that Rei had left behind, carrying her own as well. She watched out the window as she walked by at the planes that were taking off for different destinations. She smiled.

'Soon I'll be on a plane just like one of those…'

* * *

End Chapter Four. 

(Kind of short, I know, but I'm not feeling too well at the moment…updates will be slow for the next few weeks, as I'm trying to get over a bit of anemia and an ear infection…)


	5. Chapter Five

Dreaming of Dreams

Chapter 5

* * *

Minako took a deep breath of relief as she finally sat down in her seat on the airplane. Rei and Makato took the seats on either side of her, while in the row in front of them, Ami, Usagi and Mamoru sat, with Usagi trying to talk Mamoru out of the window seat to no avail. 

"Please, Mamo-chan?"

"Usako, wouldn't you rather sit next to Ami-chan?"

"She's boring!"

"That's not very nice, honey."

"Ami knows she's boring, right Ami-chan?"

Ami grumbled softly and tried desperately to concentrate on her book, burying her face deeper in the pages.

Usagi sighed and leaned back in her chair, pouting. Mamoru grinned and leaned over, planting a kiss on her jaw.

"You can have the window on the way back, okay?"

She looked up at him and smiled. "Promise?"

"Promise."

She grinned and hugged him. "Thank you, Mamo-chan!"

Makato rolled her eyes. "Kami-sama, they make me sick. Hey, Mina-chan, switch seats with me. You can take the window."

Minako nodded, and they switched seats so Minako could sit by the window and Makato could watch Rei's portable DVD player without straining her neck. Minako flipped idly through a gossipy magazine for several minutes, but sighed and put it down. She leaned up over the seat and looked down at Mamoru.

"Mamoru-kun, when is take-off?"

He looked straight up at her and grinned. "It should be in just a few minutes, Mina-chan. I suggest you relax…it's nearly a 14 hour flight."

She groaned and banged her head against the headrest. "So long! Sheesh, Paris had better be worth it!"

Usagi giggled and looked up. "Of course it'll be worth it, Mina-chan! We're going to have lots of fun!"

Minako nodded. "Hai, hai." She leaned back again and plopped in her seat. She glanced over at Makato and Rei, who were giggling at the movie they were watching. She looked out the window. Then she turned back to her lap. She frowned. "This is so darn boring!"

Usagi's pigtails could be seen flipping around from where Minako was sitting. Usagi jumped around and looked at Minako, her eyes wide and pleading. "Why don't you and Ami trade seats, Mina-chan? Ami's happy reading, Rei and Mako are no fun, and Mamo-chan's not paying any attention to me either; he's too darn busy with that laptop of his again. I could use some company!"

Minako smiled. "Is it okay with Ami-chan?"

Ami was already up, her blue head bobbing, and scooting past Rei towards Minako's seat. She leaned over and whispered to Minako. "Usagi-chan's so noisy. It's hard to concentrate sitting next to her!"

Minako giggled. "Then let's switch, okay?"

Mamoru looked up from his laptop when Minako sat down next to Usagi. "Sheesh, can't you girls just sit down and be happy? Please tell me you all won't be doing this the whole flight!"

Minako grinned while Usagi leaned over and grabbed a bag of cookies out of her pink carry-on bag. The pigtailed blonde turned towards her boyfriend with a pout. "We can't help it if we want to have the chance to sit next to ALL our friends. So we move a lot. It's going to be a long flight, you said it yourself."

Mamoru shook his head. "I will never understand…" He mumbled.

Usagi shrugged and turned away from him and back towards Minako. "So, Mina-chan, what did you bring along? I've got cookies, CDs, magazines, crossword puzzles, and lots of other games and stuff."

Minako smiled and opened her carry-on bag to show Usagi the many snacks and other items that were littered about. Usagi gasped in pleasure and grabbed the bag, rummaging through all the goodies. Minako leaned back, suddenly feeling very tired. She fastened her seatbelt, and slowly drifted into sleep.

* * *

_Many happy couples twirled around the dance floor, the lively music keeping tempo perfectly to match their steps. Minako stood in the corner of the ballroom, clinging to a wide spiraling column. She gasped as she looked around her at the beautiful people and their stunningly ornamented clothing, and at the golden ballroom. She glanced at the column she was leaning against. Golden, it was, just like everything else in the room. She took a moment to look down at her own appearance. She frowned. She stood out among all the other people in the room, who were all in bright gold colors. She wore a long, shimmering silver dress trimmed delicately in gold lace. She pulled away from the column, and glanced down at her white gloved hands. Gulping, she swiftly walked away, searching desperately for a way out of the room. Just as she spotted a large, wide entryway, someone clasped onto her hand and pulled her back. She gasped and would have screamed if it wasn't for the small, delicate hand that covered her mouth. She whipped around. Her eyes grew large and wide, her mouth hung wide open, and she almost fell to the floor. _

"_Mina-chan…you aren't leaving, are you? You can't! You haven't danced at all tonight, and someone over there is looking very unhappy at your abandonment of him…" Sounding very sad and dejected at the thought of a leaving Mina-chan, Princess Serenity stood in front of Minako, grasped tightly at Minako's arm as she pulled her hand away from the shocked girl's mouth. _

_Minako stumbled over her words as she uttered "Princess Serenity!", trying desperately to regain her composure. _

_The girl in front of her blinked several times, and then started to giggle, her long tresses of blonde hair sweeping around her as she shook with laughter. "Princess Serenity? Goodness, Mina-chan…you never call me that, not even in public. What's wrong, dear?"_

_Minako shook her head several times, clinging onto the princess's arm, scared that she would fall if she let go. "I'm quite sorry, Princess…but whoever you think I am, I am not. Yes, I am Minako, but…I am not the Minako you seek."_

_A wide pout that was so distinctively Usagi formed on the princess's face. "What on Venus are you talking about? Fine, then! If you're going to be mean and persist on calling me…THAT, then I will go and call you YOUR formal name…PRINCESS MINAKO…"_

_Minako blinked. "Princess…Minako…?"_

_Serenity frowned and skipped away, her heels clicking against the golden tiles. She went up to a tall man and started talking to him urgently. Minako watched them blankly, noticing it was the man with the white hair again. She frowned and turned back around to search out the exit she had spotted before the princess had interrupted her. _

_She started climbing a staircase that would lead up to the large door. She stopped halfway up the stairs and grasped onto a banister, her head suddenly becoming cloudy and her vision blurring. She shook her head violently, trying to rid herself of the dilemma. She knew exactly what was coming next. Her fears were confirmed when her hand was taken away from the banister and into someone else's hand. She looked up groggily to see the man with the white hair in front of her. _

_She groaned. "You again, I see."_

"_You fear my appearance?"_

_She sighed and tried to free herself of his grasp. Breaking her hand away from his, she turned and started her descent up the stairs again._

"_I would not attempt that if I were you…"_

_She stopped and turned back to look at him, seeing that he was standing very calmly in the same spot. He obviously wasn't going to try chasing after her. _

"…_and why not?"_

"_If you leave this room, you will wake up."_

"_That's what I want to do! I want you to leave me alone!"_

_He walked up the few stairs that were separating them. She looked up into his gray eyes, her own blue ones wide and fearful._

"_But why is that? Why can't you just look around you and just listen to yourself? Your true self is coming through…she's trying to show you who you really are, and you keep running away from it."_

"_I'm not running away from anything!"_

_He laughed. "Yes, you are. Do not think that I do not know you, Minako. I know you better than anyone else ever will…you run away from the thought of happiness, just because you are afraid that once you have it…that you will lose it. That is not the case…you will never lose me."_

_She gasped and tried backing away from him. Her heeled slipper hit the next stair, and she fell backwards. She looked up at him from her sitting position on the stair. "I don't even know who you are! I don't know if I would want to lose you or not, because I don't know you!"_

_He crouched down to her level to look her in the face. "Then listen to your heart. I cannot tell you everything. You have to figure this out for yourself, my love." He gently kissed her lips before standing up and turning away from her. He started to walk back down the stairs, but turned once more to her. She was standing up and getting ready to keep walking up the staircase._

_He sighed. "The choice is yours, of course. If you want to leave, you may, and I will not stop you, and I will not pursue you any longer…but if you do leave, you will never be at rest with yourself, and you will never really understand who you are."_

_She looked down at the dancing people below her, up at the door, and back to him. "I'm afraid, though…what if I don't like what I find?" She whispered, staring into his eyes._

"_You will just have to take that risk…"_

_She noticed his outstretched hand towards her. She stared at it for several moments. Slowly and very timidly, she reached out to him. She pulled back suddenly though and looked at him._

"_Will I ever wake up? What about my friends and family? Will I ever see them again?"_

"_Do not worry about all that right now. You will not be here forever, I promise."_

_She nodded and placed her hand in his._

_

* * *

_  
End Chapter Five.


	6. Chapter Six

Dreaming of Dreams

Chapter 6

_Minako stood at the bottom of the staircase, her arm entwined with the white haired-man's. She only glanced up at the door once before turning back to the man at her side._

"…_will you ever tell me your name?" _

"_You should know my name." He didn't look at her, but at the dance floor instead._

"_I don't, though…"_

"_You should remember soon."_

"_How can I? You're obviously not helping me very much."_

_He turned to her then, his usually light face dark and brooding. "It is not my place to help you. You should be helping yourself."_

_She looked down at the floor, her eyes brimming with tears. "I don't know how."_

"_You are not helpless, as you are trying to appear. You are much stronger than this." He looked away from her and noticed someone coming toward them. He frowned deeply._

"_Mina-chan, Sere's worried about you. She has been rushing all about and telling everyone that you are being a very bad friend to her. What's overcome you to do such a thing?" _

_Minako looked up to see a familiar face staring at her with concern. She instantly recognized the luscious brunette locks and deep emerald eyes._

"_Mako-chan…" She whispered, letting go of the man's arm and rushing into her friend's arms. "Oh, Mako-chan! I'm so glad to see you!"_

_The brunette blinked and hugged the trembling girl. "Mi…Mina-chan? Goodness, darling! Is something the matter?" _

_Minako shook her head and pulled away, smiling. "No, nothing's wrong. I'm just very happy to see you."_

"_But…but we've been together all night, dear. We just spoke not but five minutes ago." Makato still looked baffled. _

"_It was a very lonely five minutes, though!" Minako teasingly said, giggling._

_Makato laughed. "Well…that's better. You sound much more like yourself." She looked over at the white-haired man, who hadn't spoken for several minutes. "Goodness, Kunzite, you look like a lemon! A very sour, nasty lemon at that! Smile a little…you'll finally be free of this whole ordeal soon, and you and Mina-chan will be happy again."_

_Minako grasped onto his arm again, staring up at him confusedly. _

_Makato frowned when he remained silent and rolled her eyes. "Well, fine, Kunz. Be that way, then." She turned to Minako. "Honestly, Minako…sometimes I don't know how you put up with him. Anyways, is something wrong between you and Sere? She's making quite the fuss."_

_Minako shook her head. "No, no. Nothing's wrong. I was just…having a bit of a dizzy spell when she came up…I must have not registered clearly what was going on." She bit her lip._

_Makato reached out and squeezed Minako's arm gently. "Dizzy spells still? Poor Mina-chan. I'm sure Ami would be able to help you…maybe you should talk to her about it."_

_Minako nodded slightly._

_Makato smiled. "Well, Nephrite's going to wonder where I am. I will see you both at dinner." She kissed Minako's cheek and walked away lightly, her sparkling green dress flowing softly about her._

_Minako turned to look up at her companion. "Kunzite…"_

_He frowned and looked down at her glazed eyes. "That was not the way that I was hoping you would learn of my name."_

"_Why does it sound so familiar to me, though?"_

"_Because whether you realize it or not, you are still the same as your former self. You may be Aino Minako in your present life, but you are still the same Princess Minako of the planet Venus that you have always been since the beginning of time. Deep inside you, your true self, the real you, is still there, trying to show you the truth…you will come to realize that soon."_

_She sighed. "I'm so confused."_

_He smiled at her then, and kissed her forehead. "That is to be expected." He looked out at the dance floor. "Would you care to dance?" He asked without even glancing at her. _

_She blinked and her eyes widened. "I guess…but it's been a long time since I've waltzed. I might not be a good partner."_

"_You will do fine." He let go of her arm and took her hand instead, pulling her amidst the other dancers._

_Gingerly, she reached up and placed her hand on his shoulder, blushing furiously. He noticed her discomfort and smiled slightly._

"_Minako…" He leaned down and touched her nose with his. She blushed and glanced into his eyes for a moment before looking down again. He laughed lightly and began leading her in the dance._

_After dancing for a few minutes, Minako finally began to relax in his arms and she even looked up at him and smiled several times. While resting her head on his shoulder, she looked around at the people in the room and noticed the many stares and envious glances she was receiving. _

"_Kunzite?" She lifted her head and looked up at him questioningly. _

"_Yes?"_

"_Why are they staring at me like that?"_

"_Many are jealous of you, while others are pleased."_

"_I don't get it. Who would be jealous of me? I'm nothing special…"_

_He frowned. "Well…" He sighed. "I suppose you do deserve an explanation. Come with me. We cannot talk here." He led her off the dance floor and out a side door to a terrace. She looked about her in wonder, thinking he was going to stop here, but he proved her wrong by taking her around the waist and leading her far away from the ball and into a garden. She was finally released from his grip when they reached a small stone bench beside several beds of tulips. She collapsed on the bench and looked up at him in expectation._

_He stood a few feet away from her and stared up into the night sky as he began to talk. "As you have most likely started to figure out, in this time and place you are Princess Minako of Venus. Right now, we are at a ball on your planet, celebrating…our engagement."_

_She gasped. "Engagement?"_

_He turned to gaze at her. "Yes. And now, I suppose that you are wondering why it is you here with me and not your counterpart, the princess. Well…it is not easy to explain. But I will try. Though to you, this is only a dream, and when you awake, it may seem that nothing happened at all. But, to me, to the rest of those people in that ballroom, and to the princess within you, it is our lives."_

_She raised an eyebrow. "Then how come SHE isn't here?"_

_He shrugged. "You may not understand, and even I do not understand, but the Plutonian has told me that this is the way it must be, for your present life to succeed."_

"_The Plutonian?"_

"_The time keeper."_

"_Sailor Pluto!" _

_His eyes became wide. "You know her?"_

"_Very well! She's a friend of mine, actually. She has helped the other senshi and me several times."_

_He nodded. "Well, according to her, you must be here for you to be able to succeed in your own life."_

"_So…there's something that's here that I have to figure out for me to be able to go on in my own life?"_

"_I suppose so, Minako. You only have a limited amount of time, though, before the princess takes over your body again."_

"_Does she realize what's happening?"_

"_Yes. She's within you, after all. Even though it is you that is with me now, she is with me as well. It is hard to explain and hard to grasp, I know, but it is true."_

_She looked up at the night sky. "But I don't understand…what does that little girl have to do with anything? In my first dream, there was a little girl. And why in my second dream were you supposedly acting like my husband? But now you say that you are my fiancé."_

_He looked down at her and frowned. "Is that what you meant when you said 'you again?'"_

_She nodded._

_He blinked. "I had wondered what you meant. I did not ask because it was obvious that you were confused, and I did not wish to confuse you more."_

"_What does it mean, though? In my second dream, you were my husband!"_

"_Obviously, my future self served a purpose in this as well…as well as the little girl, whoever she may be."_

"_So even you can't tell me what it all means?"_

"_I am afraid not." He shook his head. "It might be that I have helped you too much already. The time keeper made it clear that you have to finish this task on your own."_

_Minako stood up and stomped her foot furiously. "But I don't even know what the task is that I'm supposed to complete!"_

_He laughed at her antics. Reaching over, he brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. "It may seem difficult, but I am sure that you will figure it out. I have great faith in you."_

_She blushed. "You do? But you don't really know me…I'm not your love, my past self is."_

_He nodded slightly. "Yes, but…" He kissed her lips gently. "You both are one and the same."_

_She smiled. "We are…" She looked back at the building she had come from. She gasped. "So this is the…palace of Venus?"_

"_That it is."_

"_Wow." She murmured, gazing at the magnificent structure. She looked back at him. "So tell me, why were those people jealous of me? Because I'm a princess?"_

"_Partially, yes. And because you will be marrying soon."_

"_Why would that make them jealous?"_

"_Many of the people in that room are the ones that have been leading the country. They have been a part of the governmental council that was formed to run the country until you are married."_

"_And when I wed, they won't be in power anymore?" _

"_Right."_

"_But why was the council formed? What about my parents? The…king and queen?"_

"_They died many years ago when you were a child…your mother in childbirth, and your father in a war defending Venus."_

_She looked down at the ground. "So I never knew my parents…"_

"_I am afraid not. You were but two years old when your father passed away. You were raised by your parents close friends Furuhata Tomoro and Kyeka."_

_Her head shot up. "What did you say? What was their family name?"_

_He looked confused. "Furuhata…but why does that matter?"_

_She shook her head. "It's nothing."_

"_Alright, then…we should be rejoining the ball." He took her arm and led her in the direction of the palace. She followed numbly behind him, her heart beating in her ears._

"_Kunzite…"_

_He glanced at her and noticed her paleness. "What is it?"_

"_The Furuhatas…do they have a son?"_

"_I believe so, yes. They have a son and a daughter, actually."_

_She collapsed and fell to the ground._

_-------------------------------------------------------------_

"She's not waking up, Mamo-chan. It's been nearly six hours, and she's still napping." Usagi worriedly brushed her fingers through Minako's hair as she watched her friend sleeping.

Mamoru frowned and glanced at Minako. "It is strange. No one can sleep on these flights well, after all. But I checked her vital signs just a little while ago, Usako. She's fine, just sleeping. I have a feeling that she hasn't been sleeping well, and maybe finally it's catching up to her…"

Minako jerked in her sleep, her eyes shut tightly. Usagi gasped and jumped. "Mina-chan!"

The sleeping girl only murmured in her sleep and turned back over.

_Sunny blonde hair was flying wildly. A girl was panting heavily, running from something…what she was running from, she didn't know…_

"_Momma!"_

_The girl stopped. "This is too familiar." She whipped her head around and took notice that a small girl was standing before her. She gasped at the girl's appearance. Bright, honey blonde hair was tied up in pigtails and she looked up with tears in her baby blue eyes. _

"_Those eyes…they look so familiar." Minako bent down to the ground and brushed her hand over the girl's face. "Who are you, little one?"_

"_Momma? You don't know me, Momma?"_

_Minako frowned. "Again…another one that calls me Momma." She stood up and turned away from the child. "I'm so confused."_

"_If you would listen to your heart, it might not be so confusing, Princess."_

_Minako turned back around to see that the little girl was gone and before her stood Sailor Pluto, her eyes reflecting years of wisdom._

"_Sailor Pluto! This is all your fault!"_

_The guardian of time shook her head. "No, Princess. This is no one's fault. This is your destiny."_

_Minako frowned. "I don't believe in destiny."_

"_This isn't a matter of whether you believe in it or not. It will happen no matter what you believe. This is just your chance to control it."_

"_Control it?" _

"_Your task is to learn to control your destiny. You must choose your own fate. You must decide what will make you happy."_

"_How do I do that? What am I supposed to be choosing?"_

"_You are choosing between two fates. Two fates of the past that will you affect your present and future."_

_She looked at the time keeper and noticed that the green-haired guardian was become very blurry. "Pluto!"_

"_I am once again sending you back into the past, into your dreams. You must choose between the two fates that are placed before you. The fate that you choose for your past will affect how you will decide your present fate. Good luck, Princess."_

_Minako fell to the ground in a faint. _

_---------------------------------------------_

_Minako groaned and sat up. "Am I really awake this time?" She looked around and noticed she was in the bedroom from her second dream. She sighed. "Nope." She got up out of the bed and noticed she was still in the same dress from the ball. She looked around, searching for Kunzite. She frowned when she noticed he was nowhere to be found. She saw the door that led out of the bedroom and she instantly started for it. She slowly opened the door and walked out. Two long hallways with many doors faced her. Sighing, she began to make her way to the door at the end of the first hall. Suddenly, it opened and a tall man walked through. _

_Minako stopped dead in her tracks, disbelief filling her blue eyes. "Motoki-kun…"_

_The man frowned. "Princess, they told me you were sickly. What are you doing up?"_

_She kept staring at him. Adorned in a blue cloak and armor, the shocking blue eyes and straw blonde hair made it obvious that it was definitely Motoki._

_He blinked. "Princess…?"_

_She shook her head as if to clear it and smiled at him brightly. "Motoki-kun."_

_He smiled back, though with a smile much weaker than hers. "Good morning, Princess."_

_Minako blinked. "Motoki-kun…why are you acting like we're strangers?"_

_He stared down at the ground. "Mina, I can't go on like this, and you and I both have realized that. I thought we made it clear yesterday that we cannot see one another at all, any longer?"_

_She blinked again. "What?"_

_He sighed. "You're engaged to another man, Minako. And it's obvious who you've chosen, as you were showing off your wedding dress just yesterday morning, and to my eyes, it seemed like happiness was in yours."_

_She looked in his eyes and noticed sadness. "Motoki…"_

_He shook his head. "Good day, Princess." He brushed past her and into a door, shutting it behind him._

_She stared at the door. "But I don't even know this Kunzite…Princess Minako might love him, but I don't." She looked down at the floor. "I love you, Motoki." She whispered before falling to the floor._

_-------------------------------------------------_

Minako awoke to stare into the blue eyes of Usagi. The usually bubbly blonde was looking rather pale and worried. She noticed Minako's open eyes and gasped. "Mina-chan!"

Minako smiled slightly. "Usagi-chan." She whispered, before slipping back into sleep.

_She looked around and noticed she was sitting on the stone bench in the tulip garden. Someone walked up behind her. She whipped her head around and noticed it was Kunzite, looking at her with adoring eyes._

"_Kunzite." She nodded._

_He looked disappointed. "Still Minako, I presume. You have not finished your task yet?"_

_She shook her head. "No. I'm sorry, Kunzite." She stood up and turned to face him, her full pink dress billowing around her. "Tell me, though. Do you love the princess?"_

_He smiled softly. "Of course. I would not be marrying her if I did not love her."_

_She hugged her arms to herself and sat again on the bench. "Do you truly love her, though? Do you believe she is your soul mate? Do you trust that she will always love you? Do you promise to love her in return, forever, no matter what happens?"_

_He joined her on the bench, noticing the paleness in her face. "I do not personally believe in soul mates. Neither does Princess Minako, as far as I know. And my promise of love to her will be marrying her."_

_She stared at a yellow tulip that was beginning to wilt. She reached out and stroked her fingers against it. She stood and turned to him. "Does she love you?"_

_He looked up in her cerulean eyes. "She is marrying me."_

"_But does she love you?"_

_He looked away, down at the flowers in the garden. "She has never uttered the words, no."_

_She nodded sadly. "I was afraid of that."_

_He looked up at her then, his eyes fearful. "What do you mean?"_

_She cringed. "Well…"_

_He grabbed her shoulders. "Minako, what do you mean by that?"_

_She sighed deeply and looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I believe she loves another…because I love him as well. I also believe that's why I'm here."_

_He grew pale and released her shoulders. "Who is he?"_

_She smiled sadly at him and reached out to brush her fingers against his cheek. "I'm truly sorry, Kunzite."_

_He flinched slightly at her touch and repeated his question._

_She bit her lip and pulled her hand back. "I don't feel right telling you, when even he doesn't know."_

_He nodded and turned away. "Do you truly believe she loves him as well?"_

"_Yes…I know she does. I am she, am I not?" _

_He nodded again, mechanically. "I will call off the wedding myself. Do not worry yourself with it. If this is your task…" He looked up at her with tears brimming in his eyes. "…go and complete it."_

_She nodded. "Thank you."_

_He smiled slightly. He kissed her forehead. "I did love her."_

_She smiled up at him. "I know. I am sorry."_

_He nodded. Turning he walked away. She stood and watched him until he disappeared inside the palace, and then turned herself and ran in the opposite direction. She ran until weariness overcame her and she collapsed._

_---------------------------------------------------------_

_She looked around her and saw nothing but blackness. She frowned. "I thought I would awake and see Motoki…"_

"_I am sorry to disappoint you, Princess." Sailor Pluto emerged from a cloud of shadows. She bowed slightly. "Though, you completed your task."_

_Minako walked up the green haired senshi. "You mean I picked the right one?"_

_Sailor Pluto nodded. "You picked the fate that you thought was right for you. Now, Princess Minako is back in her own body again. She will be the one to carry out her own fate now."_

_Her shoulders slumped. "So I won't get to see Motoki."_

_Pluto shook her head. "No, not the past Motoki. Now that you've realized for yourself, though, that you love him…I see no reason why you can't see him in your own life."_

_Minako looked up and sighed. "But I'm on a plane to Paris. I won't get to see him for nearly two weeks."_

_The time keeper laughed. "There are return flights, my dear! Just hop on a plane!"_

_Minako smiled. "Yes, I could…"_

_Pluto nodded, smiling. _

_Minako gasped. "But wait! What was the dream with Kunzite as my husband supposed to be about? And the little girls? Who were they?"_

"_It was a look into the future of the Princess, if you would have chosen that fate. I would have gone as far as to show you the fate of the Princess if she had married Motoki, but you figured it out in time so I didn't have to."_

"…_and the little girls?"_

_Pluto laughed. "You can figure that out for yourself, I believe."_

_Minako blushed. "Yes…I believe I know, too." She looked up at Pluto. "Why does it matter though, that I chose Motoki and not Kunzite?"_

"_If the princess had married Kunzite, she would have become miserable, with only a daughter to keep her happy. Kunzite would have left her for another in only a matter of three years after they married. But, with the fate you chose, she will be happy for the rest of her life."_

_Minako frowned. "But what does this all have to do with me?"_

"_If you had left it alone, then you wouldn't have been happy in your own life... The fates showed me that Motoki would have given up hope on you after seeing you with another…Kunzite."_

_She frowned. "But there is no Kunzite in this life…is there?"_

_Pluto shook her head. "I have already told you enough. Go back home now, my dear."_

_Minako sighed. "And the blurriness again."_

_She fainted, hearing the faint, pleasant laughter of Pluto echoing in her mind._

_---------------------------------------------------_

End Chapter Six


	7. Chapter Seven

Dreaming of Dreams

Chapter 7

Minako awoke to see Usagi staring down into her face, worry evident in the moon child's features. Minako smiled and hugged her friend. "Hey, Usa-chan."

"Oh, Kami-sama, Mina-chan, we've all been worried sick! We've been trying to wake you up for hours now! You just keep going back to sleep! Are you alright? How are you feeling?" Usagi grabbed Minako's face in her hands, turning the girl's head back and forth and inspecting her.

Minako laughed loudly and sat up in her seat, brushing Usagi off. She noticed Mamoru and the girls all peering over the seat strangely at her. "Oh, you all. Stop looking at me like that! I'm just fine, I promise. I was…finishing a task."

Mamoru frowned. "The dreams?"

She nodded and smiled softly. "Yeah…"

Makato, Ami, and Rei looked between the three in the seats in front of them.

Ami frowned deeply. "A certain blonde has kept secrets from us, I presume." Makato and Rei uttered agreements.

Minako looked up at the three and smiled sadly. "Gomen nasai. I've been very selfish in the past few days. I didn't think how it might worry you all, keeping things from you." She looked at Usagi and Mamoru. "But it doesn't matter anymore. It's over. I helped the princess…and now I have to help myself." She smiled brightly. Looking around at her surroundings, she blinked. "So…how much longer till we get to Paris?"

Rei glanced down at her watch. "About an hour or two."

"What's this about a princess?" Makato asked, going back to the previous subject of discussion.

Minako pursed her lips together. "Well…it's a long story."

"Well…like Rei just said, we've got at least an hour. So start talking, Aino!" The brunette girl tugged playfully at Minako's – now crumpled from sleeping- red hair bow.

Minako giggled slightly and leaned back and started to retell what had happened in her dreams over the past several hours.

Usagi sighed happily as she stared out at the sights of Paris from the private balcony of the hotel room she and Mamoru were sharing. He came up behind her and placed his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder, staring at the lights of the city with her.

"It's beautiful, Mamo-chan, isn't it?" She rested her head against his, smiling softly.

"That it is. But I've yet to find anything more beautiful than the girl I'm standing here with." He kissed her cheek tenderly.

She giggled and turned around in his arms to stare up at him. "You think everything is okay with Mina-chan now?"

"Everything should be alright…" He leaned his forehead against hers. "Still, let's watch her closely for a couple days to make sure she really is alright."

She nodded, shaking his head along with hers. "Agreed!" She pursed her lips together. "All this talk of Kunzite, though…it has me worried."

"How come?"

"I'm not really sure…I just have an odd feeling about it…"

He hugged her tightly. "Don't worry so much, Usako. Mina-chan's made it clear that he's nothing to her."

"Yes, but…"

"Shush!" He put a finger to her lips to silence her. "Don't you think there's been quite enough talk of Mina-chan's confusing love affairs for the day? She's going to be just fine, Usako. She'll get things straightened out."

She nodded. "You're right."

He grinned. "Aren't I always?"

Raising an eyebrow at him, she swatted him playfully on the chest. "And here I was thinking I had cracked that huge ego of yours!"

He laughed, swooping down and planting a light kiss on her lips. "I never thought I had an ego!"

She stared at him blankly for several moments. "You've got to be kidding me…"

He blinked. "Uhh…"

She shook her head and giggled, pulling away from his arms. "You do have quite the huge ego at times, Mamo-chan…whether you'll admit it or not." She laughed and left him alone on the balcony, going back into their room. "Now come on, let's go out and see the night lights of Paris up close!"

He shook his head and followed her. "I do not have a bad ego…"

"Yes, you do!"

"No, I don't!"

"Stop that!"

"But I don't have a huge ego!"

"ARGH! Mamo-chan, let's go!"

"Alright, alright…but I don't have a bad ego."

Usagi rolled her eyes as she grabbed his arm, dragging him out of the hotel room.

Minako followed Makato, Ami, and Rei, who were all engrossed in the many sights of Paris that they saw as they walked by them.

They stopped their search of monuments and landmarks for dinner at a small café. Minako laughed and joked with her friends, all of them chatting aimlessly and wondering what their prince and princess were up to at this hour.

(AN: Let's play "Guess who says what!")

"I hope they're having a good time."

"I still think they won't leave the hotel room for quite a while…"

"Yeah, they're probably too busy sucking face to see Paris."

"Rei! How can you say such a horrible thing!"

"Well, you know it's true!"

Silence. Then a soft "Yes, it is most likely true."

"Told ya! Mako-chan and I are always right about these things! Hey, Mina-chan, what are you staring at?"

All eyes turned to Minako, who was staring blankly out the café window at something on the street. The girls peered out to see what was so interesting, and noticed it was a _someone _she was staring at.

Her blue eyes were blinking rapidly, as if trying to determine if she was dreaming or not. Abruptly, she shot up out of her chair, leaving the other girls to watch her race out of the restaurant.

They all stood up simultaneously. "Mina-chan!"

Minako raced toward the street corner where she had seen him. "It couldn't be. It can't be. There's no way! No way!" She muttered.

Stopping at the spot where she had seen the unknown man, she whipped her head around in all directions, searching with her eyes. Turning around once more, she stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes becoming wide orbs of deep blue as she stared up into the eyes of another.

"I can't believe it." She murmured, her breaths coming out in deep gasps.

End Chapter Seven.

Now I wonder who it's going to be! Chapter 8 should be out soon!


	8. Chapter Eight

Dreaming of Dreams

Chapter 8

"Mademoiselle?" The man stared down at Minako with question in his eyes.

Minako's usually light blue eyes became dark, with flickering emotions dancing in them. "Ku…Kunzite!"

The man blinked at her, the questions in his eyes becoming more and more evident with every passing second.

"I can't believe it's really you!" She rambled on, reaching out and clutching at his arm.

"How do you know my name?" The man's long white hair glistened lightly from the street lights surrounding them, and suddenly he abandoned any attempt at speaking the French language, noticing she didn't speak it.

She gasped. "Of course…you wouldn't remember. There's no reason that you would remember. I'm…very sorry to have bothered you, sir." She turned away from him and started to leave when she felt a hand gripping her wrist. She glanced back at him and noticed his light gray eyes were staring at her intensely, and his gaze locked with hers.

"Minako…? I'm sorry; I didn't recognize you at first. It's been such a long time since we've seen each other…and I didn't realize that you knew my true name. I never thought I told you."

Her eyes became very wide. "Wha…what?" She squeaked.

He laughed. "It's been years since I last saw you…been a long time since you left England. Tell me, what are you doing here?"

"Here with fr…fri…friends on vacation. Kunzite, what are you talking about? En…England?" Her voice was shaking terribly and she knew it. She gulped, staring at his hand's grip on her arm.

He looked at her questionably. "Why do you keep calling me Kunzite? Minako, no one ever calls me that."

She gulped again. "O…Oh?"

"Yeah…I go by Kevin, remember? My middle name…" He kept staring at her with questions in his eyes. The look was killing her.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about…I don't remember ever meeting you in England…I was there for some time, but I really don't remember you!" She was searching her mind for answers, trying to place this man from her dreams into her past life in England.

He frowned. "If you don't know me from England, then where do you know me from? I can't believe you remember my first name and don't remember me!"

She gulped yet again, staring up into his suddenly dark gray eyes. "I…I remember you…from…from our…_past_." She emphasized the word, trying to get him to understand what she meant.

He looked clueless. He laughed. "I'm afraid our only past was the two or three dates we went on before you suddenly disappeared. I remember trying to call you to see if you wanted to go out again, and all I got was someone telling me you had gone to live in Japan. I didn't know what to think of what had become of you…"

She gasped, memories instantly filling her mind. Kevin…she HAD dated a Kevin, right before she had left the English country. They had only gone out on a few dates. She remembered that back then, she had been one to leave men behind without a phone call, note, or appearance. She had always said she would never be one to commit. Then she had come to Japan, and her life changed entirely. She ceased dating anyone, because without his knowing, her heart had been stolen away by Motoki from the second she had been introduced to him. She laughed bitterly to herself, thinking of how even she didn't know her heart was no longer her own until just a few hours ago in a dream.

She looked up at him, her eyes swimming with emotions. "I'm sorry, Kevin. I remember now. I should have called and told you about my leaving…I'm so sorry."

He nodded. "It's alright. We weren't anything serious." He smiled deeply at her. "Say, have you had dinner yet?"

She pursed her lips together, thinking of the girls and how she had left them at the café. "Well, no actually. I was just about to have dinner with my friends when I saw you and left them…I should be getting back to them now before they have three separate panic attacks."

He laughed. "Once you tell your friends you're alright, why not joining me for dinner?"

She blinked several times, and pondered the request in her mind. "Well…I…" She smiled lightly. "Sure…I think I can trust you." She laughed lightly. "Let me go talk to my friends for a few moments first, though."

"Sure." He pointed to a small fountain in the middle of a plaza of shops. "I'll wait for you there, alright?"

She nodded and grinned. "Okay! I'll see ya in a few!" She turned and ran lightly away, back towards the café.

* * *

Walking inside, she noticed her friends were all sitting in the booth, all looking fretful. 

"Girls!" She ran up to them, panting lightly.

They all gasped and stood up. "MINA-CHAN!"

"Where did you go!" Rei yelled, shaking the blonde's shoulders lightly.

"We left the café and looked everywhere for you! We just now had given up and come back in here, hoping you'd show up!" Ami exclaimed, deep worry in her azure eyes.

Makato pulled Rei away from Minako, who was now looking quite frazzled from all the shaking. "You'd better start explaining!"

"Well…I saw someone I knew…he's offered to take me to dinner."

Blue, green, and violet eyes went wide in amazement.

"Who!" Makato asked.

"Kun--Kevin. I used to date him back in England."

Rei's eyes became dreamy. "A love from your past!"

Minako cringed. If only she knew. The blonde smiled brightly, hiding her feeling of discomfort. "Yeah, I guess. Anyways, I'm going to out with him, if that's alright with you guys. I'll meet you back at the hotel in a couple hours." She gave them a small wave and started to leave, but not before Makato could grasp her arm.

"Wait, Mina-chan!"

Minako looked at the brunette, who was frowning deeply.

"Be careful. You've got your senshi communicator?"

Minako nodded. "Yeah, but…"

"I know we've all said it would only be used for senshi business…but this might be senshi dealings, if this Kevin tries anything." Ami whispered, a blush staining her cheeks as she thought of what she was referring to.

Minako smiled, touched by her friends' concern. "Thanks, guys. I'll be alright. I can whip his ass for sure, so don't worry! He wouldn't stand a chance against me if he even dared to touch me." She giggled, hugging each one of them briefly before turning and walking lightly out of the café, smiling and waving to them as she went.

Makato sighed. "I don't like this, girls. I don't like it at all."

Rei nodded in agreement. "We should follow her."

Ami blinked. "But…but that would be spying!"

Makato folded her arms. "It's for a good reason, Ami-chan. You don't want to see Mina-chan get hurt, do you?"

Ami's eyes fell to the table as she shook her head. "Of course not. You're right…but she mustn't know that we're…spying." She whispered the last word.

The other two girls nodded. Rei threw enough franks to cover the charge of their quick meal on the table before they turned to leave.

* * *

Motoki sat in the CROWN arcade miserably, watching as the final few customers sauntered out, waving goodbyes to him as they went. He smiled back half-heartedly, anxious for them to leave. Finally, the glass doors slid shut. 

He breathed a deep sigh of relief. Slinging off his apron, he turned to lock everything before finally leaving the arcade himself.

He walked out of the arcade, walking dejectedly along the quiet, dark streets of Tokyo. He stopped his walk and stared up into the dark night, noticing how very few stars were out. He frowned. That didn't help cheer him up.

Sitting on a bench on the side of the street, with only a simple light post casting light on him, his mind wandered to Minako. "Wonder if she's having fun in France…" He murmured, his eyes searching through the black skies. He sighed unhappily. 'There's no use…I can't hide it anymore…'

"Motoki?"

The straw blonde haired man jumped in surprise and turned to the sound of a soft gentle voice. He saw a lovely brown haired girl smiling at him and he forced a smile back. "Konbanwa, Reika."

"You look upset. Is there something I can do to help?" The tall girl gently sat beside him.

He frowned deeply. "Well…I…"

"It's about a girl, isn't it?"

He blinked, and she saw the truth that had been hidden in his light blue eyes.

"Ah, so it is about a girl. You love her?"

"Yes." He croaked, his voice betraying him.

Reika nodded, understanding in her eyes. "Have you told her?"

He stared blankly at her. "Reika…"

"I know, I know. It's odd for me to want to help you with another girl, right?" She shrugged, slipping her eyelids over her dark brown eyes. "I just do, though. I left you for another and I feel awful about it. I love him, though, and we both know it wouldn't have worked out between us. You love another…you always have, even without even knowing it, and I want to help you…because I do care for you, Motoki-kun. I want you to be happy, and be with a girl you truly love, and can love for the rest of your life."

His voice caught in his throat, and he was unable to say anything.

She laughed, opening her eyes and turning to face him. "So, quit with that shocked look and tell me who the lucky girl is! Though I believe I can guess…"

He blinked several times at her. "It's…well…she's…" He blushed and looked away from her to stare at the light post and the soft light it cast about the deserted street. "Mina-chan."

"I knew it."

His eyes widened and he spun around to face her. "What do you mean!"

She laughed, a light fluttering sound drifting through the air. "It's always been obvious how very much that girl means to you! Even when we were dating, I noticed how very attached you were to her…and how very attached she was to you."

He frowned deeply. "That's not true…I mean nothing to her…"

Reika nearly choked on air. "Excuse me? She's madly in love with you! She always has been! I've noticed. She was always so kind to me, even though I knew how very much she wished she were me! I felt really badly for her, though at the time, I thought I truly loved you, and I wasn't about to let her take you…but now things have changed. She's the one who can love you like you deserve…not me."

He stared at the ground for quite some time, contemplating her words. He looked up at her smiling face. "So what are you doing here? I thought you were in Africa."

She blinked. "Oh, well…Tamasaki and I are visiting his family. We had to come back and tell them the good news in person. They wouldn't have liked only a phone call."

"Good news?"

She grinned widely, nodding. "We're engaged."

He smiled. "That's great, Reika. Have you set a wedding date?"

She shook her head. "No, not yet." She looked at him. "You're invited, though, whenever we decide to have it. I hope I see you there…especially with a certain blonde girl on your arm." She winked at him, watching him blush. She laughed lightly and stood up. "Now I need to go, before Tama wonders I am. I'm supposed to be bringing back some dinner for us." She held up a bag of groceries that had been on the bench beside her, hidden from view.

He nodded and stood, leaning over and hugging her lightly. "Take care, Reika…and thanks."

She grinned. "I didn't do anything, though! I'm just telling you, you need to tell her you care before it's too late. There have to be millions of guys pining for that heart of hers."

He nodded. "I will…but it's going to be almost two weeks before I see her. She's in Paris with her friends and Mamoru."

"Mamoru! Ah, I've missed him! I'll be gone, too, in two weeks! Oh, do give him a hug for me!" She pouted, thinking fondly of the tall dark haired man who had always been her friend, even when she and Motoki had parted ways.

He grinned. "Well, sure, but it won't exactly mean as much if had come from you." He laughed.

She giggled along with him. "Well, send my love to him and Usagi…oh, how are they doing?"

"In love as can be, and as usual, always fighting." He shook his head and laughed.

"Some things never change!" She chirped. Giving him one last hug, she walked away, leaving him to stand beside the deserted bench.

'…tell her you care before it's too late.' Her words echoed through his mind repeatedly. He nodded slightly. "I will tell her."

Smiling, he left the bench, and as he looked up at the night sky, he noticed that suddenly, millions of bright stars twinkled down at him. His smile grew wider.

* * *

Minako kept staring idly at her plate as she listened to "Kevin" chat aimlessly about various things. She nodded from time to time, letting him ramble all he wanted. She was in more of a mood to be a listener, anyways, though it was odd for her, usually being quite the talker. 

Kevin finally noticed her quietness. "Hey, what's up? Got something on your mind?"

She looked up from her food, and smiled lightly. "Not really."

"Are you sure? You're being awfully quiet. I remember you as a very outspoken girl." He let his hand wander away from his side of the table to rest upon her small hand.

She stared at their hands, her pupils becoming smaller by the moment. She shook her head and pulled her hand away from his, shocking him.

"I'm sorry." She muttered, a blush creeping into her features.

He smiled warmly. "That's alright. So tell me, how have you been in Japan?"

She smiled brightly. "I love my life now. I have the greatest friends, and my mother loves it there too. She can finally relax there, and has a good steady job. She doesn't rely on the money I made for those Sailor V products anymore. We're happy…" Her eyes became soft.

"That's really great! So how's your love life been?"

She nearly choked on a sip of her tea. "My…my what!"

"You have a boyfriend?"

She blushed furiously, clenching her hands around the napkin in her lap. "Well…um…not exactly."

"But there is someone you wish WAS your boyfriend, am I right?"

She looked up from her staring contest with her napkin to see his eyes twinkling in merriment. "Um…well…yes, actually there is."

"So no hope for us rekindling flames then, huh?"

She blushed again and shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Kunzite."

"I wish you'd stop that! I despise being called that…" He shook his head in frustration.

"Why?" She frowned.

He shrugged. "Well…it's so very formal…and being called that has always made me feel bad. Though I can't exactly remember why…"

She nodded. "Well, Kevin, I'll try not to call you that."

"How do you know about my name, anyways? I never told you, I'm sure of it."

She thought seriously for a moment, trying to come up with an excuse that wouldn't make him believe she was crazy. 'He'd never believe the truth…and I don't want to trouble him with stories of the past.'

"I'm not sure, really." She frowned. "I heard it somewhere, but I don't really remember."

He frowned as well, but shrugged it off. "Well, that's alright. Just don't tell anyone." He winked.

She smiled.

* * *

After dinner, Minako and Kevin strolled through a local park slowly, both not saying much. Stopping at a bridge over a small creek, Minako leaned over the rail and stared down in the water that was reflecting the dark sky above. She looked up and sighed unhappily, noticing how few stars were hanging in the sky. 

Kevin came up beside her and leaned comfortably over the rail with her.

"So, Kevin, what are you doing here anyways? You're still living in England?" Minako tore her eyes away from the sky to look at him.

He nodded. "Yeah, I am, but I'm here because of a business ordeal. I had some time off today, though, and got the chance to explore the city some. Who knew I'd find such a pretty girl to spend it with?" He grinned at her blush.

They remained quiet for several minutes before Kevin spoke up again.

"So tell me about this guy you're in love with."

She blinked, blushing lightly. "Well…what do you want to know?"

"Well, what's his name?"

She blushed deeply. "Well…"

Several feet away, off in a bush near the bridge, three girls squirmed about, trying to avoid thorns and trying desperately to hear what was being said.

"Guys, this isn't right…we know they're nothing but friends, we can go now…"

"Shut up, Ami! Don't you want to hear who she's in love with?"

"Duh, Rei. It's pretty obvious."

"What! You know, Mako-chan!"

"Yeah, duh! Now shut up, I still wanna hear this, and I really don't want HER to hear us!"

A loud smacking sound erupted through the quiet night, and Minako was sure for a moment that some poor animal was in quite the fight with another…

Kevin nudged her arm. "Well, who is he?"

She shook her head and thought nothing more about the strange hitting noises she heard coming from the bushes. "His name is Motoki."

"Have you told him you love him?"

She shook her head sadly. "No…I'm too afraid he won't return the feeling."

"Well…I don't know the situation well, and I don't know this Motoki, but…if he sees just a little bit of the wonderful girl that I see, I'm sure he's head over heels in love with you as well." He winked down playfully at her, ruffling her hair lightly.

She giggled. "Arigatou."

"Huh?"

"Errm…thank you."

"Oh…you've become quite the Japanese." He teased lightly.

"Actually I AM Japanese…I left Japan when I was a child."

"Oh…you don't look Japanese though."

She shrugged. "Not everyone in Japan has dark hair and eyes. My best friend Usagi is a blonde just like me…we've been told we look identical…and she's Japanese, too."

A furious ebony haired girl shot up from the bushes, small twigs sticking out of her hair in various places. She clenched her hands at her sides in anger and yelled. "What do you mean your best friend? I'm your best friend!"

Minako swerved around to see no one there. She raised an eyebrow and shook her head, knowing she was going crazy.

She hadn't seen Makato's and Ami's hands shoot up and yank Rei back down to the ground.

"What do you think you were doing!" Makato hissed, covering Rei's mouth with her hand.

Rei just sat and grumbled various curses, all muffled by Makato's hand.

Ami blushed as she recognized some of the words coming from the priestess's mouth. This was no way for a priestess of her status to behave!

Kevin turned to see Minako staring rather suspiciously at a bush not too far from the bridge. "Minako?"

Minako grumbled to herself and turned back to him. "Yeah?"

"Why are you staring the bushes down like they're going to come to life?" He was blinking at her rather rapidly.

She laughed nervously, scratching her head. "Umm…well…I heard an odd noise."

He merely shrugged. "If you're sure…anyways, I've got to be heading back to my hotel. It's getting rather late, after all. Would you like me to walk you to your hotel?"

She shook her head. "No, no, it's alright. I can manage." She smiled brightly at him. "Thank you for dinner."

He grinned back. "You're welcome." He kissed her cheek in a brotherly fashion before turning and walking away. Turning back once more, he called out to her. "Oh, and Minako! Don't be afraid to tell this guy you love him! You'll regret it for the rest of your life if you don't, and I'm sure he would regret it too! Let him know you care, and all will be well!"

She nodded numbly, a slow blush creeping into her face.

He smiled once more at her and disappeared into the night.

She turned back to stare over the bridge. "Tell him I love him." She said out loud. She looked up and noticed that the sky had suddenly become very bright with twinkling stars. She smiled brightly. "I will tell him I love him!"

Soft sighs and coos were heard yet again coming from the bushes.

This time Minako KNEW she wasn't dreaming. She twirled around and looked squarely at the offending bush, noticing that it was shaking slightly and soft hissing whispers were filtering through the air.

She stomped over to the bushes and pulled a very sheepish looking Ami out by the hair. "AHA! I knew it! AMI, REI, MAKATO, YOU LITTLE SPIES!"

Rei and Makato stood up from their hiding places, both looking rather guilty and thorn punctured. They grumbled apologies as Ami bowed again and again, saying apologies in so many languages that it scared Minako.

"Whoa, whoa, Ami-chan! It's alright, girl, you can stop now!" Minako started laughing, nearly tumbling over to the ground in fits of giggles.

The three girls noted her strange attitude with blinks.

"Uh…Mina-chan, you're not mad?" Makato blinked, green eyes looking rather shocked.

Minako shook her head. "Nah, I'm not mad. I guess I should have expected it, since you guys didn't know Kevin…by the way, he's Kunzite in the present."

The three girls uttered gasps.

Minako nodded. "Yeah, but he doesn't know that. And there's no reason to tell him. Come on, girls, let's go back to the hotel and see how Mamoru and Usagi's night was."

She linked arms with Ami and Rei, and Makato's arm linked through Ami's.

Ami still looked upset. "You sure you're not mad, Mina-chan?"

"Nope…though I suppose you all heard about Motoki…" The Venus child blushed profusely.

Makato grinned. "Yeah, but I knew already."

Minako looked over at Makato, surprised. "You did!"

She nodded. "Yup!"

They were all walking arm in arm through the park, in the direction of their hotel.

Ami blinked. "Well, I can say that I was surprised. I had no clue."

Rei grumbled. "Neither did I. I should have noticed!" She sighed. "I can't believe you said Usagi is your best friend."

Minako giggled. "So that WAS you that I heard! Well…Usagi is my best friend. Makato is my best friend. Ami is my best friend. You're my best friend. You're ALL my best friends. I love you all, just the same."

The other three girls sniffled, tears appearing in each pair of eyes.

Minako laughed and rolled her eyes at their antics. They all looked up and noticed they were finally back at the hotel. They walked in and rode the elevator to their floor and knocked on Usagi and Mamoru's door. Usagi appeared at the door and smiled at her four friends.

"Hey guys! Did you all have fun?"

They all nodded and piled into the living room area, noticing Mamoru sitting on a sofa, reading glasses on, engrossed in a book. He looked up and noticed them and smiled, then went back to his book.

Minako rolled her eyes. "Poor Usagi-chan…has he been reading this whole time!"

Usagi's face became flushed. "Um…no…we actually just got back ourselves a little while ago. He's been reading ever since we got back, though." She laughed lightly and cuddled up next to Mamoru on the sofa.

"I wonder what you two have been up to." Makato mused, plopping down in an armchair.

Usagi blushed. Mamoru merely rolled his eyes and tried to concentrate on his book.

Rei scooted close to Usagi on the couch. "You two haven't been doing anything we should be ALARMED about, have you?" She wiggled her eyebrows mischievously.

Usagi turned furious eyes on the raven haired priestess. "Rei-baka, you hentai! Hentai, hentai!"

Mamoru promptly stood and whispered something in Usagi's ear and left the room, obviously going to the bedroom.

The girls all turned curious eyes on Usagi.

"What was that about?" Makato asked, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Usagi just shrugged. "He's tired and going to bed. Though I think really he didn't want to sit around and hear any more of your nonsense." She sniffed and folded her arms across her chest.

Minako shrugged. "Oh, well. It's much easier to gossip without a man in the room anyways."

This said, all the girls looked at each other for a brief moment before piling into the floor around the coffee table. They all giggled, filling everyone in on their evenings.

Finally, after two hours of gossip and chatter, the four senshi wandered sleepily out of Usagi's room, going into their own. Minako and Rei were sharing a room across the hall from Usagi and Mamoru, while Ami and Makato shared the room next door to the other two senshi.

Usagi yawned and wandered into the bedroom, noticing Mamoru reading a book with only a small bedside lamp on. She grinned at the image of her Mamoru shirtless with glasses on. Obviously he was very deeply interested in his book, as he didn't even look up when she entered the room. He did look up, though, when she sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed the book away from him.

Slipping a bookmark she had grabbed off the end table in the binds of the book where he had been reading, she put the book on the table and turned to him, grinning. "Story time's over."

He rolled his eyes, trying to appear annoyed. "Gossip session over, too?"

She nodded. "Yes, sir." She giggled.

He grinned. "Good. About time those crazy girls left." He gently pulled her into his arms, and she leaned over and turned the small bedside table off.

* * *

Ami, Minako, Rei, and Makato all sat in Rei and Minako's room, their gossip session not really quite finished. 

"You know they're doing it."

"Oh, Kami-sama, Mako-chan, can't you stop that?"

"They are SO doing it."

"Yeah, yeah, they gotta be!"

"I told you. They're DOING it."

"Stop that, Mako-chan!"

"But they're doing IT!"

"No use to try and deny it, you know they are!"

"I can't believe what I'm hearing…"

"You're no fun, Ami-chan!"

"Rei, I hardly call talking about two of our best friends doing IT fun."

"I never thought I'd see the day when Ami-chan said IT when referring to sex!"

"Oh, Kami-sama, Mina-chan! Look how you've made poor Ami-chan blush!"

"She's redder than Usagi is after Mamoru kisses her in public!"

"That's very red."

"You know it."

"Guys, please!"

"Ami-chan's blushing! Ami-chan's blushing!"

"REI!"

"Blushing, blushing little Ami-chan!"

"MINAKO!"

"They are SOOOO doing it."

"MAKATOOOOO!"

A few loud crashes could be heard and if anyone had looked out their door, they would have seen a red-faced Ami dragging a lump-headed Makato by the collar back to their room, and if they had looked in the room the blue haired sprite had just left, they would have seen two senshi by the names of Minako and Rei both rubbing lumps that suddenly had appeared on their heads after two run-ins with a very large physics textbook.

Ami just grinned and dropped Makato on the floor and turned in for the night, promptly falling asleep…dreams of large textbooks and sweet victory dancing in her head.

* * *

End Chapter Eight. 

A bit of humor in this chapter! I was in a rather humorous mood when I typed this up, and really wanted to play guess who says what a lot, lol...hope you all enjoyed and please leave a review! The next chapter should be out soon!


	9. Chapter Nine

Dreaming of Dreams

Chapter 9

For the rest of their vacation, the girls kept their mouths shut about any happenings between their prince and princess…mainly because of the fact that Ami had a tight grip on that rather heavy textbook of hers and whenever any of the senshi looked at her and almost started to say something, an evil glint would enter the Mercury child's sapphire eyes and she'd hold the textbook up with pride.

Minako had searched the crowds of people she saw in Paris for any sight of Kunzite, but hadn't seen him anywhere. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She had wanted to see him at least one more time before she left the French lands.

She noted with a sigh that he had said he was here on business. 'I hope whatever he does in life that he's always successful and happy.' She thought softly to herself, and smiled.

* * *

On the last day of their vacation, the entire group decided to climb up the steps of the Eiffel tower all the way to the top to get one last look at the lovely city. 

Usagi clung to Mamoru desperately, whimpering, as he tried to drag both of them up the steps

He sighed. "Usako, it's not that far up!"

"Not that far up! It's WAY too far up!" She stopped on the staircase for a moment and looked down out the side railing. Seeing the ground so far away from her, she panicked.

"MAMO-CHAN!" She yelped, rushing to him once again and jumping on his back, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. He stumbled forward as her weight hit him, and he gripped onto a side rail as he desperately muttered small condolences to the -screaming- girl.

The four girls who had been lagging a bit behind stared up at Mamoru in sympathy.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea after all…" Makato said in concern, noticing how very tightly Usagi was gripping Mamoru's throat. The poor prince of Earth was trying to loosen her hold around his neck just enough so he could breathe.

Minako nodded. "She's gonna strangle him before we even reach halfway!"

Rei saw the redness on Mamoru's face, most likely caused from the lack of air that was passing through his lungs.. She couldn't help but giggle. "Poor Mamoru-kun. We've gotta help him!" She rushed up, and with Makato's help, pried Usagi off his back. The Moon princess started wailing loudly.

"REI-CHAN! MAKOOO-CHAN!"

Mamoru breathed a deep sigh of relief and rubbed his neck where a red mark had appeared. "Thanks, girls."

Makato grinned. "No prob, Mamoru-kun! She was about to kill ya!"

He laughed lightly and then noticed Usagi was clinging to Rei's arm and staring off the side rail, fright apparent on her face. He smiled softly and took her hand and pulled her away from Rei and up one step that was separating them. Smiling down at her, he whispered a few words in her ear. The girls (all except Ami, who knew to mind her own business) leaned in to try and hear what was said, but not a word was caught by any of them. They watched as Usagi smiled brightly and laced her arm through his and held onto him tightly. They both turned and resumed their walk up the stairs, Usagi resting her head on Mamoru's shoulder.

Minako blinked. "How did he do that! She was panicking just a minute ago!"

Makato looked over her shoulder at Minako as the rest of the group started walking up the stairs again, too. "She trusts him completely…because she loves him and knows he loves her and he'll always protect her."

Minako's eyes became misty, thinking to herself. 'I wonder if one day Motoki will protect me like that…' She blushed and shook her head, rushing up the steps to catch up, noticing she had lagged behind.

* * *

Usagi and Mamoru had long since separated themselves away from the girls. When the four senshi finally reached the top of the tower, they noticed the couple cuddling and looking over the railing at the sights of Paris, oblivious to anything else in the world but each other. 

Minako watched them for a moment with a soft smile spread over her features. Rei looked at the Venus goddess and nudged her in the arm.

"Mina-chan? Why do you keep staring at them like that?" She asked, and Minako finally snapped out of her trance.

She shrugged. "Well, I guess it's because I keep imagining them as Motoki and me. Maybe one day that will be us…" She looked back over at the couple. "They're so in love."

Rei nodded. "Yeah, they are…I know what you mean. Maybe one day I'll find someone to love me like Mamoru-kun loves Usagi-chan."

Makato hugged Rei from behind. "You might have already found him, Rei-chan…Yuuchiro's crazy about you."

Rei blushed, shaking her head. "No way." She pulled away from Makato's hug and walked to the railing to look at the city.

Makato grinned. "She's in denial."

Minako giggled and nodded. "Yeah, I think so…what about you, though, Mako-chan?"

Makato blinked, scratching her head as a small sweatdrop appeared. "Heh…well…"

The brunette girl bolted away and ran up beside Rei and Ami at the railing. Minako shook her head and laughed, walking over and joining them.

* * *

Minako flipped idly through a gossip magazine, bored. She sighed. She looked beside her at Usagi and Mamoru, who were fighting over the window seat again. She grinned as she watched Mamoru finally forfeit the seat to his girlfriend. Usagi had none too kindly reminded him of his promise. 

Mamoru gave Minako a sour look of defeat when he sat down. She laughed. "She won, I see."

He grumbled. "Not really. I just decided it was best to let her have the seat so maybe she'll be a bit content through the flight."

"I wouldn't count on it, Mamoru-kun." She giggled.

He nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know. It's a vain hope." He looked over at Usagi, who was furiously pressing buttons on a hand-held game console, totally uninterested in anything else around her. "Well…maybe she'll be content for a little while, at least."

Minako laughed. "You can always hope!"

* * *

The next day, after staying home and spending some time with her mother and Artemis, who both had looked incredibly lonely when she had come through the door after being gone for two weeks, Minako stepped out of her house and decided it was time she visited Motoki-kun at the arcade. She smiled gently to herself, thinking of how much she really did love him, and how much she had missed him! 

When she stepped through the sliding doors of the arcade, she was disappointed to see that Motoki wasn't standing behind the counter, but another worker. She sighed a little sadly and made her way to a booth, where she slid in and put her head in her hands.

"Minako-san, why do you look so sad?" A sweet, soft voice intruded on Minako's thoughts.

She looked up and noticed that Unazaki, Motoki's younger sister and co-worker, was looking at her with a concerned smile.

Minako smiled back, a little forced. "Konnichiwa, Unazaki-san. Is Motoki-kun working today?"

Unazaki shook her head, her auburn hair bouncing in its ponytail. "Gomen nasai. Iie, he's not. He was feeling really ill this morning and decided it might be best to take the day off. He was afraid his cold might be contagious and didn't want to get anyone else sick."

Minako nodded sadly, disappointed that she wouldn't see Motoki today and worried because he wasn't well.

Unazaki frowned at Minako's sad appearance. "You want to see Motoki about something?"

Minako nodded slightly. "Yeah…"

The redhead's green eyes flashed interest. She scooted into the booth beside Minako, looking up at the guy at the front and flashing him a sign with her hand that showed she was taking a break. She looked back at Minako. "So what's up? Can you tell me?"

Minako blushed and looked at Motoki's sister. Unazaki was a year younger than Minako, at fifteen, and was almost the complete opposite from her older brother, except for her caring, concerned attitude. She was much shorter than Motoki, had dark red hair, vivacious green eyes and a small petite frame.

Minako pursed her lips together as she contemplated talking to Motoki's little sister about her problems.

She decided…well, why not?

"Well…you see…I'm…in love with Motoki." She whispered the last few words, ducking her blonde head to hide her blushing face and eyes.

Unazaki let out a romantic sigh. "Oh, Mina-chan! That's the most wonderful thing I've heard since Usagi told me she and Mamoru were dating! This is just perfect!"

Minako's head shot up, hope in her eyes. "Why is that?"

She winked. "Well, ya see, I can't tell you that. But don't worry." She reached over and hugged Minako. "I'm so happy for you!"

Minako's eyes were wide and her voice was ragged as she replied. "Th…thanks….I think."

Unazaki started giggling girlishly. "You haven't told him, though, have you? And that's why you want to see him so much?"

The blonde nodded numbly.

She playfully whacked Minako's shoulder. "Well, why don't you head over to Motoki's apartment! I'm sure he'll be very, VERY glad to see you!"

Minako blinked. "But…but…well, for starters, I don't have Motoki's address…and secondly…he might not appreciate me coming to his home, especially when he's sick."

Unazaki shook her head furiously. "No, no, no! He'll be enthralled to see you! Believe me, I know these things!" She grabbed a pen and a piece of paper out of her apron pockets and scribbled a few words down and shoved it in Minako's hand. "There. That's his apartment building address. He's on the third floor, room 305."

Minako stared at the piece of paper in wonder. "I hope this is a good idea…"

"Oh, it is, it is!" Unazaki was giggling again. "And while you're at it, you can take him lunch! I had promised that on my lunch break, I'd pick him up some soup from the café up the street from his house. But now that you're going there, why don't you take his lunch for me? He'll be much happier with YOU bringing him lunch!"

The redhead all but dragged Minako to the front sliding doors of the arcade. She looked at Minako with crocodile tears in her green eyes. She sniffled dramatically and embraced the rather wide-eyed blonde.

"Go get him!"

And with that, Unazaki pushed Minako out the doors as they slid open. She watched Minako walk away, clutching the piece of paper in one hand, her eyes still incredibly large and her entire appearance still looking rather shocked.

"Oh, they grow up way too fast!" More dramatic sniffles ensued, but before long, Unazaki's boss was yelling at her to get back to work, and with that, she ran off.

* * *

End Chapter Nine. 

If you've noticed, most of this chapter was just meaningless little parts that I decided to add in. I could have left out the trip to the Eiffel tower, and the plane conversation, but wanted to add just a few more extra little scenes, just for the fun of it!

Well…only one or two more chapters to go! I haven't really decided yet how long to really make this. But I've enjoyed writing it so much that now I'm starting to wish that it didn't have to end! But, all good things must come to an end I suppose…

I want to thank the reviewers that I've had. I know that this genre isn't exactly popular, and so it doesn't attract quite as many reviewers, but I appreciate every single review that I've gotten very much! Thank you all!

Luna


	10. Chapter Ten

Dreaming of Dreams

Chapter 10

Minako looked up at the tall building where Motoki lived. She clutched the piece of paper in one trembling hand, and a bag with Motoki's lunch in the other. She took a deep breath and stepped inside, walking instantly to an elevator not to far from the front desk.

Stepping inside the elevator, she pressed the button for the third floor and leaned against the side, heaving a huge sigh of relief as the doors slid closed.

"This place is a lot like Mamoru-kun's apartment." She muttered, thinking of all the study sessions she had been through with the other girls at his place.

The elevator stopped and the doors jarred open, causing Minako to leave her thoughts abruptly. She timidly stepped into the hallway and looked around, trying to find out where exactly she should be heading.

"302…301…oops, wrong way!" She turned back around and headed in the other direction. "Ah, there we go! 303, 304, 305!" She stopped in front of a plain black door and breathed in deeply. Closing her eyes tightly, she rapped the door several times.

She stood and waited for several moments. When she heard footsteps coming to the door, she lost her nerve. She gasped, placed the food at the doorstep, turned abruptly and rushed toward the elevator.

Motoki opened the door and peered out, seeing no one there. "What the…?"

He frowned and looked down, noticing a paper bag with a restaurant logo on the fron. Picking it up, he noticed a blur of blonde hair and a red hair bow rushing into the elevator. "Mina-chan…?" He murmured confusedly.

He shook his head, feeling the effects of the cold medicine he had just taken. He sighed, walked back into the apartment and dropped the bag on a counter in his kitchen. 'I'll have to ask her about it later…I can't go chasing after her now…' He looked down at his bathrobe. 'Nope…it'll have to wait. But I wonder why on earth she would be doing here?' He went into his living room and collapsed on the couch. 'Oh, crap. I really shouldn't have taken that medicine…maybe if I wasn't so sleepy, I could go after her!'

And with that thought, he fell asleep.

* * *

Minako ran into her house, shouted a quick hello to her mother, and rushed up the stairs to her bedroom. She was out of breath from her jaunt, and once she reached her room, she collapsed headfirst onto her bed, burying her head into her fluffy pillow. 

Artemis was sitting on the windowsill and had looked up when she had come in. "Mina-chan, what's wrong?"

She jumped at the sound of his voice and whipped her head around to face him. He jumped from the window to sit next to her on the bed. Sighing, she turned over and lay flat on her back, staring up at the ceiling.

"I chickened out."

"Meow?"

"Well…I was going to go tell Motoki-kun about my feelings for him, but…I heard him coming to the door and I ran. I got too scared." Tears formed in her eyes, and she quickly swiped them away with the back of her hand.

Artemis looked at her sympathetically and nuzzled his face against hers. "It's alright, Mina-chan. You may have backed out this time, but it doesn't mean you'll do it the next time! You can always go and tell him tomorrow!"

She nodded. "Yeah, I know…but…I don't know…I really…REALLY wanted to tell him today."

Artemis suddenly started laughing.

Minako jolted up and stared at him angrily. "What are you laughing at!"

He pointed one white paw at the alarm clock on the table next to her bed. "Mina-chan, it's just now two o'clock! Go back!"

She suddenly turned as white as a sheet. "Wha…what?" She squeaked.

Artemis shook his head. "Oh, sure, when it comes to everyone else's love lives, you're the fantastic goddess of love always ready to help, but look at the way you're acting about your own!" He stood up on all fours and stared her squarely in the eye. "Go back to Motoki-san's apartment NOW. As your cat guardian and advisor, I order you to go now!" He stuck a paw to her nose and pushed her back with such force that it shocked Minako.

She toppled to the floor with a loud "Oof!".

Artemis peered over the side of the bed. "What are you still doing here! I said go now!"

Yelping, she sprinted out of the room and down the stairs. She yelled at her mother again, this time a very hasty goodbye, and she was out of the house in only a matter of seconds.

Artemis watched her running down the street from the windowsill. He smiled smugly. "It's about time that girl learned to listen to me."

* * *

Minako stood yet again at Motoki's front door. She was breathing heavily and trying to calm her heart rate, having had run the entire way from her house to his. She knocked weakly at the door, almost collapsing. 

After several minutes and no reply, she almost gave up. Sighing, she knocked once more, this time much, much louder.

She heard several –SEVERAL- loud banging crashing noises come from the apartment and a few moments later the door was swung open by a very sleepy, cross looking Motoki.

His eyes instantly softened when he saw exactly who was standing at his front door. "You came back."

She blushed. "You knew I was here before?"

He opened the door fully and ushered in the room. "Yeah. I was about to chase after you, too…but I had just taken some cold medicine, and it made me rather…drowsy." He smiled a little sheepishly.

She smiled up at him. "Well, I'm glad I spared you the trouble of coming after me, then. How are you feeling?"

"Better…this morning I woke up with a terrible headache and cold. Unazaki and Satoshi had to take over the arcade for me."

"Oh, so that's who that guy Unazaki was talking to was..."

"Um, probably…why?"

She shrugged, barely able to take her eyes off him. "I was wondering who he was. I'd never seen him in the arcade before…and she looked rather interested in him."

"He's actually just starting out…but Unazaki's capable of running things, so I was able to take the day off without many worries. Wait, she was interested in him!" He instantly went into overprotective brother mode, his face become worried.

She giggled. "Yeah, I think so. But don't worry so much about that, Motoki-kun! Unazaki's no little girl, ya know!" She chirped.

He shook his head a little sadly. "Yeah, I know, but it just seems like it was just yesterday that she WAS a little girl." He walked into the kitchen. "You want something, Mina-chan? Coke?"

"No thanks, that's alright." She walked in the kitchen with him and watched as he rummaged around in the refrigerator. She blushed a little, noticing he looked rather disheveled, yet still incredibly handsome in a tee shirt and jeans, his hair messy and unkempt.

She had just noticed his paleness when he looked up and noticed her staring at him.

"What's wrong?" He had taken quick notice of her deep frown.

"You look awfully pale." She muttered. Walking up to him, she put a hand to his forehead. "You do have a bit of a fever. Exactly what kind of medicine are you taking?"

"Just some over the counter stuff. It's just a simple cold, after all, Mina-chan." He was blushing slightly, her hand warm on his forehead.

She blushed herself and pulled away, staring down at the floor. "Well, you're drinking a lot of fluids and resting a lot and everything, right?"

He grinned slightly. "Yes, Nurse Mina-chan. I didn't know you were such an expert on these things."

She shrugged a little, giggling. "I'm not. But I try!" She looked over and noticed the bag with food was sitting on his counter, apparently untouched. She looked back up at him. "You didn't like the soup?"

He blinked. "Huh? Oh, is that what that is? Actually, I just woke up when I heard you knocking…I had practically passed out after you left the first time."

"Oh. Well, at least let me heat the soup up for you! It'll help you feel better!" She turned and opened the bag, grabbing out the containers inside. "Which kind? I brought two different ones, chicken noodle and vegetable."

He leaned against a counter and watched her attentively. "Vegetable."

She turned to him with a happy grin. "Good choice!"

He returned the smile and watched as she started rummaging through his many cabinets and drawers, obviously looking for a pot to heat the soup in. He grinned and reached in the cabinet directly above the stove, bringing forth her sought after pot.

He handed her the pot. "Say, why are you here and doing this for me, anyways?"

She was stirring the soup with a spoon she had been thankful to have found in the drawer next to the stove. "Well…" She blushed and turned to glance at him. "I just wanted to be a good friend to you…"

"If that was all, you probably wouldn't have run away the first time…" He said softly, provoking a gasp out of the girl.

Deciding to ignore his last comment, she turned and tried to look for a bowl to put his soup in. Finding bowls sitting in a high cabinet, she tried to reach up for one, without much luck. She pouted, reminded of her 5'2" posture.

She felt an arm slide around her waist and pull her back a little away from the cabinet. She gasped and looked up. Motoki grabbed the bowl down for her and turned to stare down at her, handing the object to her. "Thought you needed a little help."

She was beginning to get used to blushing around him. It seemed to be all she could do. "Th…thanks…" She mumbled, staring up into his soft dark brown eyes. He nodded and pulled away from her, the warmth of his hand on her stomach instantly lost. She shook her head out of disappointment and went back to the stove. She poured the soup into the bowl and turned to him, handing it to him. "Now go eat! I'll clean up here."

He laughed. "Yes, ma'am." Sending her a goofy grin, he grabbed a spoon from the drawer beside the stove and left the room to sit in the dining area and eat.

She quickly washed the pot and stirring spoon in the sink and walked out of the kitchen, noticing Motoki sitting at a small dining table in a rather tiny dining room. He noticed her standing in the doorway. She smiled and left him to eat and to explore his apartment herself. Walking back into the main room she had left after going into the kitchen, she noticed it was much larger than she had at first thought. 'Then again,' she thought, 'We only stood in the doorway and stared each other down.' She giggled to herself and made herself comfortable on his sofa, noticing a bathrobe draped over the back of the couch. She ran her fingers over it lightly, knowing it was his. This sent shivers up her spine, and she blushed.

She heard him in the kitchen washing his eating dishes. She ran a quick hand through her hair, knowing full and well that he'd look for her once he finished. Her thoughts were confirmed when he walked in the living room and sat next to her on the sofa.

"So, you never answered my question from earlier."

She looked at him innocently. "Question?"

"Yes, and don't give me that little innocent look, Mina-chan! I know you know what I'm talking about!" He grinned and grabbed her around the waist, and began to tickle her mercilessly.

"Moto…Motoki, stop it!" She said breathlessly, laughing so hard she was crying.

He eased his tickle attacks and simply rested his arms around her. They noticed that she was practically sitting in his lap now. She blushed a little, but didn't move away. Looking up into his eyes, she gulped. "But Motoki-kun, you didn't exactly ask me a question."

"You're right." He admitted. "But I'll rephrase myself. I said that you wouldn't have left the first time if you were just going coming over to be a good friend and I believe that you told me a lie. Or at least I'm hoping…now am I right?"

Her eyes misted over a little and she turned her head away to stare at his carpet, which had suddenly become very interesting. It was so very green…so green…

"Mina-chan?"

She sighed and continued her staring contest with the very green floor. "You're right…it was a lie."

"Then what's the truth?"

She looked back at him and noticed that there was hope shining in his eyes. She bit her lip. "Well…umm…" She pulled herself out of his lap, regretfully. "I don't know how to tell you this…"

He ran a finger down the side of her face gently, tucking several strands of hair behind her ear. "Tell me what?" He whispered, leaning in closely to stare softly into her face.

She turned and looked at him, their noses touching. Their gazes locked as blue eyes met brown ones.

"I came to tell you…and ask you…if maybe…" She was stumbling over her words so badly that she was sure he couldn't make out a single word she was saying. It was really hard to think with those brown eyes of his staring deeply into hers, as if he already knew and could read her secret.

"I love you."

Minako jerked away from him and gasped. "What did you say!"

He smiled softly and took her hand in his. "I said…I love you."

"You…you…you really mean that?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Motoki really loved her, too! Life couldn't be this perfect!

"Of course I mean it…" He looked a little taken aback by her confusion. "I've wanted to tell you for a long time…but you were so upset over those dreams and the man that was supposedly your husband in them and I just put it off and…well, I can't hide it anymore, Mina. So even if you don't feel the same way…at least you know."

It was quiet for a few moments.

Suddenly, Minako burst into giggles. "Motoki, you silly, wonderful man!"

His eyes widened in confusion when she launched herself into his arms and hugged him. "Mina, you're confusing me a lot right now…"

She pulled back a little and looked in his eyes again. She was smiling so brightly that if put up for a contest, she'd be quite the match for the sun itself. "Motoki, that's why I came…I came to tell you that I love you!"

His eyes lit up happily and he smiled softly. "I was hoping that was your reason…"

She giggled. "And those silly dreams of mine? Well, you don't have to worry about them at all. They're gone for good. I got to the end of the dream…in it, I was about to marry this guy…" Motoki's eyes clouded over, but she continued. "But then I told him that I loved another." She pressed her nose against his. "That other…is you."

He smiled softly. "I would love to kiss you right now…" He whispered, and scrunched his nose. "…but because I really don't want you to catch this stupid cold, it'll have to wait." He said sadly.

She nodded and pulled back a little. She pursed her lips together and looked at him. "Well…" She grinned and leaned close to him again. "Damn colds."

"Hmm?" He raised an eyebrow.

She laughed and leaned up, kissing him squarely on the lips. Pulling away slightly, she smiled. "I said, damn colds."

He grinned and pulled her close for another kiss.

* * *

End Chapter Ten. 

It's not finished yet! Nope! Got an epilogue coming up!


	11. Epilogue

Dreaming of Dreams

Epilogue

Minako was nearly skipping as she walked into the arcade, a smile spread wide across her face. She noticed Makato, Rei, Ami, and Usagi all sitting in a booth near the back and she waved to them. They waved back, thinking she would come over to her. Their thoughts were squashed when the Venus goddess went to the front counter where Motoki and Mamoru were talking.

"So you're really together now?"

"Yup!"

"That's great, man. You'd better not hurt her, though. She's one of Usagi's closest friends, and my friend as well. Don't you break her heart, got it?"

"Hey, you're my best friend! You're supposed to be telling her that!"

"I doubt she'll need any warning of that sort."

Minako giggled, and the two men looked up, noticing her standing in front of the counter.

"Hey, Mina-chan." Mamoru grinned. He stood from his stool at the counter and left them alone, walking to the back booth and sliding in beside Usagi.

Minako took the seat that Mamoru had left empty. She looked up at Motoki and grinned.

"A coke, please, kind sir."

He leaned on the counter. "You know that'll cost you."

She giggled. "Oh? How much?"

"Well…" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment. "I'd say a kiss would cover the cost."

"Oh? Is that what you usually charge girls for cokes?" She raised her eyebrow playfully at him.

He laughed lightly. "Nah…but you're a special one. Your kisses are worth more than all the yen in Japan."

She laughed and kissed his lips lightly.

He feigned disappointment. "That's it? I'd expected more!"

She winked. "Well…it's just a coke, after all."

"What about a milkshake?"

She pondered it for a moment, putting a finger to her lips and tapping them. "Hmm…I'd say that's worth…"

She leaned up and kissed him much more passionately than the last time.

He kissed her lips several times as he pulled away from her. "I'd say that was worth everything in the arcade."

She giggled.

Four very curious girls had suddenly left Mamoru to sit with a table full of milkshakes…abandoned, untouched milkshakes. He grinned.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so happy for you guys! You're so cute!" cooed Usagi.

"Aren't they, though? Aww…pretty soon we'll have someone else to tease besides Usagi! Or wait…hey, Mina-chan, can we tease you yet?" Rei grinned suggestively.

Minako rolled her eyes, but smiled at her raven haired friend's banter. "Not yet, Rei-chan…"

"Well, you'd better tell us when!" Makato spoke up cheerfully, reaching over and ruffling Minako's hair lightly.

Minako only giggled and blushed, while Motoki stood blinking. He looked at Minako questionably. She shook her head. She'd just have to tell him later…as if she'd really tell him.

Ami was the last to speak, having been hidden behind the other girls. Now, she walked in front of everyone and stood beside Minako. "Well…if you ever need me for anything, Mina-chan, I'm here."

Minako gave her friend a funny look. "What do you mean?"

Ami laughed lightly, and nodded towards Motoki. "We all like you, Motoki, really…it's just…I've become very accustomed to using such wonderful text as this…" She held her physics textbook proudly, "…to give people a good whacking when they need it. So you'd better not hurt Mina-chan, or you'll regret it!"

Rei started mumbling. "Somebody has GOT to get that textbook away from her. She's changed."

Motoki chuckled. "I promise, Ami-chan, you won't have to use the textbook on me."

Ami smiled. "Good."

Makato shook her head and crossed her arms. She leaned over and started whispering to Rei. The priestess grinned and nodded enthusiastically. Smiling sneakily, the tiptoed behind Ami, ready to jump up and grab the damned textbook.

"Don't even think about it." Ami growled menacingly, turning around and holding the book above her head, ready to strike. "Do you both want another lump?"

Both girls yelped and made a quick retreat, running out of the arcade. Ami followed them, textbook aimed for attack.

Usagi, Minako and Motoki stood blinking.

"Ami's…not on anything, is she?" Motoki asked, looking at his new girlfriend.

Minako shrugged. "I'm actually not so sure anymore. She's gone mad with that textbook. I've got a lump to prove it."

Usagi looked around. "Hey, where's Mamo-chan!"

They all looked at the back of the arcade. Mamoru sat reading a book…four empty milkshake glasses sitting around him.

"You wouldn't suppose he…" Minako pondered.

"I wouldn't say it's beyond him. He's got this thing about chocolate…" Usagi sweatdropped, scratching her head.

Motoki shook his head in disbelief. "I'm not even going to charge him now…"

Usagi laughed. "Well, see ya, lovebirds. I'm gonna go get my chocolate prince and see if he can still walk…I swear, if he doesn't gain a pound after this I'm going to throttle him."

She walked off towards the back of the arcade.

Minako turned to Motoki and put a hand to his forehead. "You're feeling better, sweetie?"

He nodded. "Yup. Cold's all gone now. I'm not so sure if it was the medicine or hearing you say you love me that cured me…I'm actually leaning towards the latter one." He grinned and kissed her again. Suddenly he pulled away from her. "Hey, you're feeling alright, aren't you?"

She raised one eyebrow. "Uh…yeah…why?"

"I'm just worried…you kissed me when I still had the cold, remember? I really don't want you to get sick…"

"Oh, well…I'm fine…so far…"

Suddenly she sneezed.

"Uh…oh…"

They looked at each other for several moments.

Minako sneezed again.

"Well…" She said. "It was worth it." She giggled…sneezing again.

* * *

That night in Mamoru's apartment… 

"I can't believe you drank all four milkshakes!"

"Usako!"

"I'm sorry, Mamo-chan! I just still can't believe it! That's the kind of thing you'd expect from me, but…but from YOU! It's just too weird! Sheesh! I'm a bad influence on you!" She raised her head off his shoulder and looked at him. "What possessed you do it?"

"You know, Usako, it's not that big a deal! I'm not going to go to hell for drinking a couple milkshakes!"

"By God, if it's up to me, you will if you don't tell me why you did it!"

"Sheesh! I wanted something sweet!"

"But FOUR!"

"I don't know!"

"FOUR!"

"Usako!"

* * *

Meanwhile on the telephone… 

"How are you feeling, honey?"

"Oh, just fine!" Sneeze.

"You don't sound fine…"

"Don't worry about me, Motoki! I'm going to stay home and rest tomorrow."

"That's good. I'll be over right after I get off from work to take care of you."

"Soup and everything?" Cough. Cough. Cough.

"Lots of soup. Vegetable, of course."

"Good! Oh, I need to ask you something very, very serious."

"What's wrong!"

"I have to know if you like cats!" Sneeze.

"Cats? Oh! Mina, don't worry, Artemis and I get along fine."

"Good. Because I can't be in a relationship with anyone who doesn't accept Arty. He's my best friend, you know." Cough.

"Well, then it's a good thing I like cats, isn't it?"

"Yup."

"So there's no worry of any other man being in your dreams tonight?"

Giggles. "Nope! I've had very good dreams for the past few days…"

"Oh?"

"Yeah!"

"What about?"

More giggles. "I'm not telling. Dreams are private, ya know."

"You won't tell ME?"

"Nope! But I will tell you that they usually end up with a pretty blonde haired little girl running up to me and calling me Momma…"

"White blonde again?"

"No, this little girl has dark blonde hair…like straw blonde." Giggles. "And really pretty brown eyes. She reminds me of someone I know."

"I wonder who she reminds you of." Laughs.

"Me, too." Giggles…sneeze.

Laughs. "Well, I think it's time you start that resting you told me about."

"Aww…but…but…" Cough.

"You need your rest…"

Sigh. "Fine, fine, I'll go to bed in a minute…right after I find Artemis. I think he ran off again with Luna, though. The window was a bit open when I got home."

"Sneaking out to be with a girl!"

"I'm going to have to talk to Luna's mother about this." Giggles.

Laughs. "Usagi should know what her little pet has been up to."

Giggles. "Yeah."

"Well, go to bed now! Good night, Mina…"

"Good night…I can't believe you're making me go to bed."

"It's because I love you…"

"Awww…"

"Mina, go to bed!"

"Alright, alright! I'm hanging up now! G'night, sweetie!"

"'Night."

"Oh, and Motoki?" Sneeze.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Mina…sweet dreams."

Click. Click.

Minako stared at the phone for a moment and sighed happily. 'He loves me!'

She climbed into bed and sneezed once more. She rolled her eyes at her own sneeze and laid her head on the pillow. In moments, she was asleep…with dreams of with a tall straw blonde haired man with soft chocolate brown eyes in her head.

* * *

The End! 

Yay! It's finished! It's kind of sad, though…I'm going to miss writing this so much! I've liked it so much. Oh, well…I'm going to pick up an old story I never quite finished and work on it. It's a romantic comedy about Usagi and Mamoru…I'm looking forward to starting over with it.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to review this story. I appreciate it very much!

Luna


End file.
